EPA launched on August 15 Version 3.0 of the Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool (CREAT). CREAT 3.0 is now a web-based tool with a much-improved intuitive user interface compared with previous versions. To access the tool, users must register to receive a login and password. All analyses generated in CREAT belong to the user and are not accessible to other users.
The tool guides utility users through five steps: Climate awareness; scenario development; consequences and assets; adaptation planning and risk assessment. Directions for each module are provided in descriptive text and video formats. Help is available via additional videos, a resource library of additional climate threats, EPA Climate Ready Water Utility Initiative products and links to other helpful agencies and organizations with tools and expertise in climate adaptation.
In CREAT, users can select climate-related, location-based scenarios for assessing threats to utility infrastructure (also known as identifying asset/threat pairs) or develop their own scenarios. CREAT assesses potential economic and public health consequences to climate change impacts. Newly added in v. 3.0 is a feature that allows for the monetization of these consequences. Once consequences are defined, users identify critical assets for the consequence analysis.
The risk assessment module guides the user through steps to assess risks across every potential climate scenario identified for each asset/threat pair. The goal of the risk assessment is to help users identify adaptation measures that reduce risk. Users may include in the analysis actions already implemented at the utility to build resilience.
The climate science and economic data used to update the tool is described in the CREAT 3.0 Methodology Guide, accessible online or from within the CREAT tool via the HELP tab. The guide explains in detail the structure of the tool and providers answers to many frequently asked questions.