As climate change continues to unfold, we are seeing it touch and alter every part of our communities. As decision makers respond, they need to be aware of how others are impacted and how they are also responding. Without cross-sector coordination, our experience tells us that actions in one sector are likely to exacerbate climate change impacts to other sectors, simply shifting the risk instead of increasing overall resilience.
Climate change is an awkward subject to talk about. In some circles, bringing up the topic can lead to an acute case of silence (cue crickets). But we need to be talking about it in all circles and especially in decision-making capacities. One of the leading organizations on climate change communication is Climate Access.
We recently listened in on a Climate Access webinar on how to talk about climate change during extreme cold and snow events. They suggested communicating the links between climate change and changes in the jet stream or polar vortex destabilization to show how larger storms are one of the many outcomes of accelerating climate change.
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The Future of Extreme Weather in Central TexasAustin and Killeen, Texas have experienced many temperature and precipitation extremes in the last decade. As climate change accelerates, residents can expect more days of extreme heat, fewer overnight freezes, and more frequent periods of drought than there have been historically.
The President’s Taskforce on Climate Preparedness and Resilience was set up to develop guidance on how the federal government can best support local communities in the face of climate change. The Taskforce was composed of 26 governors, mayors, county officials, and tribal leaders from around the nation. The Taskforce met from Nov. 2013-July 2014 and released their final report in Nov. 2014.
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In 2012-2013, Fort Collins Colorado experienced a series of extreme events – extreme drought, fire, heat, and flooding that broke historic record after record. The city was ready for some of these events, but not all of them, and not in such quick succession. Luckily, city leaders are taking climate change seriously. They are looking at the model projections and coming up with win-win solutions that not only reduce the risk, but also improve peoples’ daily lives. These strategies build resilience across all parts of the community as conditions continue to become more extreme and less predictable.
Climate change is already affecting our communities through increasingly frequent and severe droughts, floods, extreme storms, sea level rise, and heat waves. And it is expected to worsen over the next few decades, even if we drastically reduce emissions today. While climate change is a global phenomenon, the impacts are local.
In addition to reducing emissions to prevent catastrophic impacts to future generations, we need to prepare communities for severe impacts by building resiliency at the local level.
One of the first steps in creating a resilient community is identifying what resources and populations are most vulnerable to climate change. Water supply, for instance, is often highly vulnerable to climate change in areas that rely on snowpack for water storage, and in areas where precipitation is expected to become less predictable over time. Most communities have existing stressors, such as poverty, unemployment, or pollution that can increase the vulnerability of certain populations and resources. These stressors also need to be considered.
Climate change can be overwhelming and scary. And almost everyone at some point feels like shutting down and pretending it is not really happening. But it is happening. And we can do better than shutting down.
The important thing is to GET STARTED. Your community can be made more resilient with a wide variety of actions – but continuing to do things the way you have always done them is not a viable option.
It is important to remember that climate change adaptation is work that will never be finished in our lifetime. Whatever your role in local government, industry, or your community, you will never clear your desk on this issue.
And, it might be the most important work you ever do. Preparing for climate change impacts and reducing community vulnerabilities WILL SAVE LIVES AND MONEY.
Addressing the impacts of climate change and building local resiliency is an ongoing process that must become a primary consideration for all parts of your community if you are to be successful in strengthening and maintaining the quality of life for your citizens.
Whether you choose to work with us or another service provider, please keep in mind that the more you integrate across your community and develop whole community solutions, the stronger and more resilient your community will be.
Building on experience gained by working with communities over the past 10 years, our team has developed the Whole Community Framework to help communities build resilience in the face of changing climate conditions.
The Whole Community framework starts with understanding the community’s most valued resources, then develops local climate change projections and a cross-sector vulnerability assessment. Once vulnerabilities are assessed and impacts prioritized, strategies are developed to address the priority vulnerabilities and increase their community’s resilience across all sectors and populations.
A systems view is key to developing these strategies. Thoughtful development of collaborative, and cross-sector strategies can lead to a whole suite of synergies – cost savings, new partnerships, complementary efforts, and less community conflict.
A community may utilize the Whole Community framework in one of two ways: a) through a professional services consulting engagement with the ClimateWise team at Geos Institute, or b) by utilizing the Climate Ready Communities assisted do-it-yourself program.
If your community prefers a consulting engagement, the typical path is an RFP for climate resilience planning as a whole or just for key components of the process, such as to develop a vulnerability assessment. See our suggestions for developing your RFP here.
We also welcome questions if you are just getting started with developing your RFP. Email Geoff Weaver at geoff@geosinstitute.org
If your community’s resources for climate resilience planning are limited and/or you prefer to build capacity in this area rather than utilizing a consultant to guide the process, we suggest you consider our Climate Ready Communities program. Here is an overview of the program, and most communities with an interest in this approach begin by downloading the comprehensive Practical Guide to Developing Climate Resilience.
On January 2, the Los Angeles Times reported that temperatures in Anchorage, Alaska did not drop below zero degrees Fahrenheit at any time in 2014. And, data from the National Weather Service shows that 2014 was the warmest year in the city since 1926. In an average year, Anchorage residents experience 29 days with temperatures that dip below zero, so this is a significant change from a typical Alaskan winter.
