Climate adaptation

Following the adoption of BARC's Joint Resolution to Address Climate Change in September of 2021, cross-agency working groups from BARC's member agencies have begun the process of developing a Shared Work Plan, which will strategically align agency planning and regulatory initiatives within a 1-5 year time frame in order to accelerate the implementation of specific strategies that advance shared climate mitigation and adaptation goals. 

Join Caltrans and community members for a public meeting to learn about a study being conducted to improve State Route 37. This meeting will provide an update on the development of the PEL (Planning and Environmental Linkages) Study, answer questions, and allow for public input on alignments to be evaluated in the study.

The meeting will be taking place on Zoom on: 

Tuesday, Jan. 25^th from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm (PST).

A recent article in the New York Times highlights the financial crises that small towns, particularly in low-income areas, are experiencing in the face of climate shocks. Without the financial ability to rebuild and recover from natural disasters, communities enter into a downward spiral of shrinking populations and declining revenues; furthermore, those who stay in damaged communities find themselves unable to sell their homes at a price that would enable them to relocate somewhere safer.

A recent interactive article in NPR highlights the threat that rising sea levels are posing to Facebook and Google's multi-billion dollar Silicon Valley campuses, which both companies are continuing to expand.

A recent article in KQED News showcases East Palo Alto's community-led efforts to adapt to climate change. The town of 30,000 is one of the most vulnerable localities to rising sea levels in the Bay Area; two-thirds of the city could experience regular flooding within a decade and high-tide inundation by mid-century.

Stinson Beach is launching a multi-year effort to create a sea level rise adaptation plan, as reported by the Marin Independent Journal. The plan would determine how and when the community, which is the most threatened on the Marin ocean coastline, can protect itself against sea levels that could rise by up to 10 feet by the end of the century. The plan would be completed in 2024 and include a list of potential projects and funding options.

A recent article in CNN highlights how climate change is accelerating gentrification as wealthier people seek to move to neighborhoods of lower climate risk, such as those situated on higher elevation and less prone to floods. The article highlights gentrification in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina, where the share of Black population in Census tracts with the highest median elevations — those a meter or more above sea level — fell by more than a third between 2000 and 2019.

A recent New York Times article highlights the sobering findings from a new report by the First Street Foundation showing that the costs of federal flood insurance will need to increase significantly to cover the increasing risks posed by climate change.

An article in the New York Times today highlights the building industry's efforts to influence building codes, which are typically adopted by states and local governments every three years, often relying on influential models set by the International Code Council. These building codes protect homeowners from sustaining damage in extreme weather events, and reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions from buildings.

A recent article by NBC Bay Area highlights how the Covid-19 pandemic, and the ensuing fiscal crisis, has resulted in a number of critical climate adaptation projects and initiatives being delayed or put on hold as local, regional and state government budgets are squeezed. The article highlights a number of projects and policies to cope with climate impacts that have been delayed due to Covid-19, including a $4.7 billion climate resilience bond proposed by the Governor's office that was shelved.