The Resilience Roundup highlights announcements and events along with links to the previous month's state, regional, and national resilience news.
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Communities of all sizes and locations are being challenged by the present realities of climate change. Please join the University of Connecticut’s Center for Energy and Environmental Law (CEEL), the Diversity Alliance, and CIRCA for an Earth Day Conference, Resilient Communities: Equity, Policy, and Climate Action. Our interdisciplinary approach brings together specialists in environmental law, municipal finance, climate and marine science, community planning and more. A keynote speaker will frame decision-making challenges facing municipalities and participants will explore the relationship between equity and climate change, learn about new tools and policies to address climate vulnerability, and discuss development of the state's resilience project pipeline.
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NFWF: National Coastal Resilience Fund 2022 Request for Proposals
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is soliciting Pre-Proposals for the 2022 National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF). NFWF prioritizes projects that incorporate community engagement and benefit underserved communities. NCRF will invest in projects in four categories: Community Capacity Building and Planning, Site Assessment and Preliminary Design, Final Design and Permitting, and Restoration Implementation. Planning and design awards range from $100,000 - $1,000,000 while implementation awards range from $1,000,0000 - $10,000,000. Required pre-proposals must be submitted by April 21 through NFWF’s Easygrants system.
CT DEEP is hosting an April Climate Solutions Webinar to learn more about this NCRF and NFWF's LISFF grant (described in the next entry). See the April 18 Event listing to register.
CIRCA also held a webinar, "Crafting Competitive Resilience Proposals for NCRF and Beyond" last fall and a recording is available to help provide guidance for applicants.
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NFWF: Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) 2022 Request for Proposals
The NFWF Long Island Sound Futures Fund is seeking proposals to restore the health and living resources of Long Island Sound with funding of approximately $10 million for awards in 2022. Grants range from $50k - $1.5m for with lower match requirements this year. A new resilience project focus has been added to other funding categories of habitat restoration, education, and nitrogen prevention. While optional, ideas for proposal are due April 22 with final proposals due May 19.
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EPA: Healthy Communities Grant Program
Communities in New England are eligible for $40,000 grants from the EPA's Healthy Communities Grant Program. This program focuses on working directly with communities to reduce environmental risks and improve human health by funding projects that: target resources to benefit communities at risk; assess, understand, and reduce environmental and human health risks; increase collaboration through community-based projects; build institutional and community capacity to understand and solve environmental and human health problems; and achieve measurable environmental and human health benefits.
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U.S. DOT Funding: Rebuilding American Infrastructure with
Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has published a Notice of Funding Opportunity for $1.5 billion in grant funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE). This program helps communities around the country carry out projects with significant local or regional impact. RAISE discretionary grants can be used for a wide variety of projects including resilient infrastructure. The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. EST on April 14. Webinars on the grant program will be offered soon – stay tuned by following the RAISE website.
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National Adaptation Forum Webinar Series:
Monitoring and Evaluation of Adaptation Progress and Successes
Implementation of climate adaptation strategies rarely include efforts to assess whether or not they are resulting in desired resilience to climate change impacts. As a result there is little data on the efficacy of adaptation practice. The goal of this series is to advance the practice of monitoring and evaluating climate adaptation work. The four virtual events (session 1 & 2 were held in March) highlight different approaches, examples, and frameworks across the adaptation community, spanning natural, built, and social systems.
Session Three - April 13, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Session Four - April 27, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
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NECASC Webinar: The Northeast Drought Early Warning System
April 13, 4:00 p.m.
A four year (2022 - 2026) strategic action plan for the Northeast, the Drought Early Warning System will soon be released by the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). This plan identifies outcomes and activities that will move national and regional drought response from a reactive to a more proactive posture. This webinar will highlight touchpoints between the Drought Early Warning System and the mission of the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center (NECASC) including drought research and monitoring, work with Indigenous peoples on climate adaptation, improving stream flow forecasts to enhance water management, and much more.
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CT DEEP Climate Solutions Webinar: Federal Funds for Resilience Projects - National Coastal Resilience Fund and Long Island Sound Futures Fund
April 18, 12-1:30 p.m.
Join CT DEEP's April Climate Solutions Webinar to learn about two NFWF grant programs (National Coastal Resilience Fund and Long Island Sound Futures Fund), which have funding available to support resilience planning and projects in Connecticut. This webinar will provide an overview of the two programs with an extended Q&A session where participants can receive feedback on their pre-proposals or ideas.
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UConn Edwin Way Teale Lecture Series:
The Promise and Peril of Ocean-Based Solutions to Climate Change
On April 21 at 4:00 pm, UConn is hosting the Ocean Conservancy's Director of Climate Science, Sarah Cooley, Ph.D. for a Edwin Way Teale Lecture Series presentation. Dr. Cooley is one of the coordinating lead authors for the Oceans and Coastal Ecosystems chapter of the 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) sixth assessment report. Due to COVID, Spring 2022 Teale lectures will be virtual. "Watch Live" links will be posted when available, usually within 48 hours on the event website.
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CIRCA Report: Floodplain Building Elevation Standards
for Critical Facilities and Activities
Flood protection elevations are a critical safety factor for construction in the floodplain as well as a regulatory compliance step. To determine how critical structures are subject to different standards regarding flood protection measures, CIRCA published a new white paper in our Sea Level Rise Policy White Paper Series: Floodplain Building Elevation Standards for Critical Facilities and Activities. Determining the appropriate flood protection height required for an infrastructure project can be complex. Factors vary depending on a project's location, funding source, construction type and critical/non-critical designation. This white paper explains concepts and definitions to help navigate design standards.
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UCONN Office of Sustainability Climate Teach-In Webinar:
Climate Justice Across Scales in Connecticut
A Worldwide Climate Teach-In event in March was focused on creating Climate and Justice dialogues at Universities and communities across the globe. The 2022 Teach-In for Climate Justice was hosted by the Offices of Sustainability at UConn and Southern Connecticut State University. For more information about the event, visit the UConn Office of Sustainability. A recording of a March 30 webinar, "Climate Justice Across Scales in Connecticut" included an interactive panel with members from CIRCA, CT DEEP, and CARE.
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Urban Institute Report: State Flood Resilience and Adaptation Planning - Challenges and Opportunities
The State Resilience Partnership, convened by the American Flood Coalition and The Pew Charitable Trusts, commissioned the Urban Institute to conduct first-of-its-kind research on statewide resilience and adaptation planning. The resulting report, State Flood Resilience and Adaptation Planning: Challenges and Opportunities, examines the landscape and trends of statewide resilience plans based on the Urban Institute’s survey of 148 plans and deep dive interviews in five states.
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LeadingAge LTSS Center UMass Boston Report
The Impact of Climate Change: Why Older Adults are Vulnerable
People who are aged 65 and older are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Advancing age and the prevalence of special needs increases the vulnerability of these individuals to climate stressors and risks. This research report highlights the disproportionately negative outcomes of climate change on older adults receiving long-term services and supports, and recommends actions that various stakeholders can take to address the short- and long-term effects of climate change on this vulnerable population.
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Billy Bragg Song: King Tide and the Sunny Day Flood
English singer-songwriter and activist, Billy Bragg released a song, King Tide and the Sunny Day Flood. Bragg explains, "Sunny day flooding is a costal phenomenon in which strong tides cause water to gush up from drains and beneath the ground, swamping basements and inundating roads. Rises in sea level due to melting ice-caps are making it an increasingly common occurrence in Florida." Bragg calls listeners to act: "On a planet the surface of which is 70% water, in which the temperature of oceans drives our weather systems, we will all be affected by global warming unless we act now to limit the damage done."
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State and Regional News Clips |
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What the UN Climate Report Predicts for NYC
gothamist - March 1, 2022
New York needs to cease using fossil fuels immediately and move toward renewable sources of energy in order to limit the inevitable impact of climate change, experts said in response to the latest United Nations climate change report. The report’s predictions are grim: more deadly heat waves and sea level rise that could render parts of Lower Manhattan uninhabitable in this generation if no action is taken to limit global warming.
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Rain Gardens, Trees Among Resiliency Ideas for Groton City
The Day - March 4, 2022
Rain gardens at the city's Municipal Building campus, more trees at Washington Park, and a resilience corridor trail along Birch Plain Creek are some of the ideas from a climate resilience plan for the city. Consultants are finalizing the Community Resilience Plan that will include recommendations and concept designs for which the city could then pursue funding for.
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Climate Resilience Initiative Expanding into Southeastern Connecticut
The Day - March 5, 2022
CIRCA is working on expanding its initiative Resilient Connecticut from western Connecticut to the rest of the state, thanks to $5 million in state funding. As part of the federal government's National Disaster Resilience Competition, CIRCA started Resilient Connecticut in 2018 in Fairfield and New Haven counties, which were among the hardest hit areas when Superstorm Sandy struck in 2012. "Resilient Connecticut 2.0" will expand mapping of climate vulnerabilities and develop adaptation projects in the rest of the state.
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Mayor Simmons Announces Initiatives To Combat Climate Change
Patch - March 10, 2022
On Mayor Caroline Simmons' 100th day in office, she announced key initiatives Stamford will be undertaking to ensure that the city is more resilient to the impacts of climate change. Simmons held a press conference in Cove Island Park, surrounded by members of the city's first-ever Mayor's Climate Council. The council will aim to foster dialogue on issues related to climate change, sustainability, resiliency, and environmental justice and identify specific policy recommendations that will first reduce Stamford's carbon footprint.
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Norwalk Forms Sustainability Committee, Looks to Create Climate Officer Role
The Hour - March 10, 2022
A new committee dedicated to identifying and increasing sustainability opportunities in Norwalk met for the first time with plans to form a citywide environmental officer position. The committee is tasked with determining the role of a future sustainability/environmental officer, along with what resilience and environmental concerns in Norwalk need attention.
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How New York City is Preparing for
Expected Rising Sea Levels from Climate Change
ABC News - March 11, 2022
The rise in sea levels has been imminent as concerns over climate change grow, and with the latest predictions and extreme weather events, cities are rushing to create long-term solutions to external events – especially around floods in coastal areas. As a way to prevent flooding, New York City, in partnership with the federal government, is reconstructing parks and communities as part of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project.
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New England Once Took Salt Marshes for Granted. But the Tides are Changing
CT Mirror - March 29, 2022
Plunked on a southern New England shoreline is an understated and misunderstood ecosystem: Great Meadows Marsh in Stratford. For decades, that site was treated as an ugly nuisance, but it’s the focus of a $4 million restoration project aiming to make the coast more resilient to climate change.
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The State of Our Environment: Climate Change
Connecticut Magazine - March 29, 2022
Connecticut is warming and the more volatile climate is affecting all aspects of its ecology. All of the following are trending upward since 1960: average annual temperature, number of days with temperatures greater than 90 degrees, days when it rains more than an inch, and the water temperature of the Long Island Sound. What is Connecticut to do about all of the above, and related challenges?
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Five Key Points in the IPCC Report on Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation
PHYS.ORG - March 4, 2022
The latest report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) looks at the impacts, adaptation and vulnerabilities associated with the climate crisis. The document reports stark new findings on the way current global warming of 1.1℃ is impacting natural and human systems, and on how our ability to respond will be increasingly limited with every additional increment of warming.
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EPA Offers Equity Guide for Spending Infrastructure Billions
E&E Greenwire - March 8, 2022
The EPA laid out guidance for how states should spend more than $43 billion in infrastructure dollars dedicated for water projects while upholding civil rights laws and prioritizing equity. The agency’s move could quell concerns consumer advocates and environmental justice groups have recently raised about the ability of underserved communities to access funds within the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package.
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EPA Gets Budget Boost for Climate, Environmental Justice
E&E Greenwire - March 9, 2022
Lawmakers will boost EPA's budget under a new spending bill, yet greater funding ambitions for the agency have fallen by the wayside as Capitol Hill closes out this round of appropriations. Under the omnibus package released, EPA would receive $9.5 billion for its fiscal 2022 budget. That is more than $300 million over the agency's current funding.
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These 5 Flood Resilience and Adaptation Challenges
Offer Opportunities for States
PEW - March 8, 2022
Climate resilience and adaptation planning at the state level, while in some cases ambitious, often falls short in critical areas, such as sufficiently accounting for flooding and social vulnerability. That’s a key takeaway from new research, including a survey of 148 plans in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia; the survey was done by Urban Institute researchers and commissioned by the State Resilience Partnership.
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Too Hot to Handle: How Climate Change May Make Places Too Hot to Live
NASA - March 9, 2022
As Earth’s climate warms, heat waves are becoming more frequent and severe. The health dangers of extreme heat have scientists and medical experts increasingly concerned. And for good reason: heat stress is a leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States each year. A recent example is the record-breaking heat wave that hit the U.S. Pacific Northwest last summer, killing hundreds.
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To Build for the Future, We Need Updated Rainfall Records
The Hill - March 14, 2022
Rainfall data is one of the most overlooked and highest reward opportunities to ensure our cities and towns are built for a future of more frequent and intense extreme weather events. A recent NPR report finds that states use outdated rainfall records, sometimes as old as 50 years, when upgrading infrastructure. Not only that, but despite more frequent and extreme weather events, this same data fails to consider future rainfall patterns.
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The SEC Wants Companies to Disclose how Climate Change is Affecting Them
NPR - March 21, 2022
Public companies in the U.S. may have to disclose information about how they are dealing with climate change. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission formally proposed new rules that would for the first time require businesses to report their greenhouse gas emissions, along with details of how climate change is affecting their businesses.
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Infrastructure Funding Offers Unprecedented Opportunity
to Build Community-Level Climate Resilience
American City and County - March 25, 2022
At the core of the IPCC report released last month is a stark warning that, to date, our efforts to adapt to the changing climate are not enough to protect people and ecosystems around the globe. But here in the United States, there is some good news. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law offers state, regional, local and tribal governments vital resources to plan and implement equitable adaptation strategies. The White House and lawmakers say that some $47 billion of the $1.2 trillion total is slated for “resilience.”
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Here’s What Biden’s Budget Would Do, and Not Do, for Climate Change
New York Times - March 29, 2022
The president’s federal spending proposal for the next year contains almost $45 billion to deal with global warming. It seeks to prepare us for the reality of life on a hotter planet. It does not include big-ticket items to enable the United States to pivot away from the combustion of fossil fuels, the main cause of climate change. What the United States does to swiftly bring down its own emissions is critical for the rest of the world.
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The Resilience Roundup highlights CIRCA's presence in the news, provides links to recent local/state/national news articles related to resilience and adaptation, and announces upcoming events and seminars.
The Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation's (CIRCA) mission is to increase the resilience and sustainability of vulnerable communities along Connecticut's coast and inland waterways to the growing impacts of climate change and extreme weather on the natural, built, and human environment. The institute is located at the University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus and includes faculty from across the university. CIRCA is a partnership between UConn and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP).
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