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A recent study released by the Kresge Foundation examines, via 17 case studies, how communities are implementing actions to address extreme events, climate variability and climate change. At least eight of the 17 case studies feature AMWA members including Baltimore, El Paso, Ft. Collins, Miami-Dade, Seattle and Spartanburg. These case studies describe effective

strategies and approaches communities are using to responding to extreme events and adapt to climate change impacts. Some of these strategies include: garnering public support, forging new partnerships; securing financing; and integrating or “mainstreaming” climate change into comprehensive planning.  Water resources and demand management strategies are also identified.

On its webpage announcing the report, the Kresge Foundation says the research discovered that more municipalities are preparing for climate risks than traditionally believed, particularly as there are often multiple community benefits from such actions. Still, much more work is required to comprehensively address these risks.

The report’s authors identify six key components for a well-adapted community, yet note that adaptation actions explicitly addressing climate change are still in the nascent stage. These are: comprehensive climate change-informed planning processes, mainstreaming of climate considerations into existing decision making processes, aggressive exposure-reduction policies, creative use of existing regulatory powers, neighborhood-scale capacity building efforts and systematic monitoring and evaluation processes.