Excerpt:

With climate change projected to cause San Francisco Bay to rise more than 18 inches over the next 50 years, Alameda as an island could be especially vulnerable to flooding unless steps are taken to literally hold back the tide, local officials say.

The restoration of wetlands and the construction of levies and dikes will likely be among the ways used to prevent water cresting the shoreline, especially as the redevelopment of Alameda Point moves ahead.

But Alameda officials also say their response probably will evolve over time as new technologies emerge to combat the rising water levels and money is secured to pay for them.

The Bay Conservation and Development Commission -- which state lawmakers created in 1965 to help guide policy toward San Francisco Bay -- already has begun to address the issue by crafting a series of amendments in its overall plan for the bay.