This is the quarterly newsletter from the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, highlighting its progress, and the counties and municipalities in Southeast Florida.

Across the Region

Photo: Flooding during the April 2023 rain event in Broward County Credit: Broward County

In December 2025, Broward County issued a Call for Projects from its municipalities and other eligible entities (e.g., water control districts and county agencies) to be considered for inclusion in the county’s pursuit of Section 219 Funding for Environmental Infrastructure, as authorized under the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). Section 219 funding provides for up to $50 million in federal funds to support approved projects, with a 75/25 percent federal/local cost share. Projects can be used to support design, permitting, and construction costs for water management improvement projects that reduce flood risk. Broward’s call specifically requires projects to support stormwater conveyance and storage within the secondary and/or tertiary drainage system to protect property, and to position communities to capitalize upon anticipated Central & Southern Florida (C&SF) upgrades to the primary drainage system, with a priority for pumps, culverts, and water control structures.

The county sought and gained Section 219 authorization as part of the WRDA 2024 to help advance priority projects consistent with Broward's 2025 Resilience Plan. All awards are subject to (1) availability of funds through Federal appropriations and (2) approval by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners, and submitting entities are responsible for meeting the required non-federal project cost share of 25%. It is anticipated that the appropriated funds will be limited, requiring annual appropriations for potentially a decade or more, before exhausting the current $50 million authorization. Thus, applicants are invited to present projects as part of longer-term capital planning. 

The county will submit the Section 219 appropriations request to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by February 28th. Learn more here, or contact Dr. Mount at gmount@broward.org.  

In 2025, the Miami-Dade Department of Solid Waste Management (DSWM) began development of a comprehensive Zero Waste Master Plan (ZWMP) to support the significant reduction of waste disposal and expand sustainable practices throughout the county. The DSWM provides curbside waste and recycling collection services to more than 350,000 households in unincorporated Miami-Dade County and ten municipalities, including Aventura, Cutler Bay, Doral, Miami Gardens, Miami Lakes, Opa-locka, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Sunny Isles Beach, and Sweetwater.

As part of the Plan’s development, Miami-Dade has identified 32 potential strategies (policies, programs, and infrastructure) that will reduce disposal dependency, expand waste diversion, and advance a circular economy, focusing on organic waste processing and composting, food recovery, expanded recycling opportunities, and construction. Significant community outreach, via both surveys and in-person and virtual workshops, is underway and will inform the final strategies included in the ZWMP, which is expected to be drafted by April, and complete in the summer of 2026. 

While the Department of Solid Waste transitioned to single-stream recycling in 2009, the county still generates more than twice the amount of waste per capita compared to the national average of 4.9 pounds per person. Across the Southeast Florida Compact region, solid waste accounted for roughly four percent of total regional greenhouse gas emissions. While the number may seem trivial, organic waste decomposing in landfill releases methane—a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide—when it decomposes in a landfill. Waste management therefore represents an important area of focus that can have significant emission reductions, and other critical community benefits.



Achieving the ambitious goal of zero waste will require significant investment of resources and collaboration with municipalities, partner organizations, and residents. In 2024, the county awarded a contract to WSP to lead the technical analysis and planning in partnership with DSWM. All residents are invited to contribute directly to the development of Miami-Dade’s zero waste future by participating in a brief survey here: Miami-Dade County Zero Waste Master Plan Community Survey, or attending the virtual or in-person workshops: 

In Palm Beach County, County capital construction projects that meet or exceed half a million dollars in project costs must consider resilience and sustainability principles during design development through a Resilience & Sustainability Checklist. This ensures that County projects are considering climate and environmental impacts and helps identify potential opportunities to mitigate risks. The County recently completed a State-funded vulnerability assessment and is now integrating these results into the checklist. The County’s Built Environment Risk Reduction Division, within the Facilities Development & Operations Department, will use the Vulnerability Assessment hazard GIS tool to create a “mini hazard assessment” for each project, showing project managers potential risks of extreme heat and extreme flooding for their project site. This will further enhance the County’s ability to make informed design and construction decisions that mitigate flood and heat risks.

After decades of planning, design, environmental remediation, and construction, The City of Miami recently unveiled Bayshore Park, a new 19.4 acres park, sitting in the center of the island, west of Pine Tree Drive, on the site of a long shuttered Par 3 golf course. The completed park, which opened in late September, features a central lake with boardwalks, a pavilion, six tennis courts, restrooms, a children’s playground, dog park, jogging trail and pathways, a fitness cluster, butterfly garden, linear water feature, permeable parking lot, and solar. At the heart of the park is a one-acre lake that has been excavated and is designed for stormwater retention. The lake is considered a best-in-class blue/green infrastructure feature, which connects to the surrounding community’s drainage stormwater systems, alleviating flooding and water retention during major rainfall events that often flood nearby streets and neighborhoods, and provides filtration and ozone water treatment. The park is budgeted at nearly $43 million and is funded in part by the City’s 2018 voter-approved General Obligation Bond.

Image: Aerial of Bayshore Park located at 2530 Pine Tree Drive on Miami Beach. Credit: City of Miami Beach.

In January, the the City of Miami City Commission adopted an ordinance that establishes a first of its kind “Resilience Trust Fund” (RTF), which will support public infrastructure projects that enhance resiliency, sustainability, and flood mitigation. Project developers seeking a density increase will contribute to the fund, calculated on a per-unit basis. Although the ordinance does not specify an exact figure, City Commissioners discussed a contribution of $35,000 per residential unit paid into the RTF. In exchange, developers can be granted density increases of up to 100% in residential density beyond the base zoning within the Coastal High Hazard Area or within Miami-Dade County Storm Surge Planning Zones A, B, or C. The initial two pilot areas are both in the Edgewater area, a coastal, high-density, and flood-prone area of the city directly on Biscayne Bay. Eligible capital improvements include pump stations, roadway elevation, seawalls, bioswales, living shorelines, native shade tree plantings, parks and open spaces, and green walls. In addition to the contribution, Applicants may receive a 15% reduction in cash contributions by providing affordable or workforce housing within the project. 

Through this ordinance, the City amends both its Code of Ordinances and the Miami 21 Zoning Code. The ordinance proposes the creation of Resilience Fund Areas (“RFAs”), which would dictate where collected funds must be spent. Funds must generally be used within the same geographic area in which a project seeks increased density, though expenditures may extend into adjacent RFAs when a project’s scope spans multiple areas. Additionally, funds may be used outside a specific RFA if at least fifty-one percent (51%) of the project footprint lies within the originating RFA. 

While the RTF is an innovative approach to funding much-needed resilience projects, concerns have been raised regarding increasing density in a neighborhood that is already prone to flooding, that is also experiencing both gentrification and aging infrastructure. 

Image: Resilience Fund Areas, which dictate where Resilience Trust Funds must be spent. Credit: City of Miami

Palm Beach County welcomes new staff, Valentina Alvarez

Valentina Alvarez is the Resilience Program Supervisor for the Palm Beach County Division of Built Environment and Risk Reduction (BERR), where she helps secure and manage funding for climate resilience and sustainability initiatives across Palm Beach County. Raised in South Florida, Valentina is passionate about using science, collaboration, and community partnerships to protect the region’s unique ecosystems and enhance its long-term resilience.

Valentina’s career spans government, research, and nonprofit work, grounded in her commitment to conservation and sustainability. Her projects have focused on wildlife conservation, invasive species management, and community-based resilience. Valentina holds a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida, and an A.A. in Environmental Studies from Florida Gulf Coast University.

Reminder: You can view resources from past Compact "Implementation Workshops"

One of the principal ways the Compact supports capacity building of regional stakeholders to advance climate and resilience action is via its ongoing series of “implementation” workshops – designed to support the implementation of the recommendations of its Regional Climate Action Plan (RCAP). Over the years, the Compact has hosted dozens of these workshops, and within the last five years, these events have all been hosted virtually via Zoom and recorded. As a reminder of this important resource, you can visit the Compact’s implementation workshop page to access all workshop agendas, presentations, and recordings. 

Recent workshops include:

• Resilient Florida Implementation Grant Project Showcase
• Advancing Private Property Resilience, Risk Reduction, and Sustainability
• Conducting Statutory-Compliant Vulnerability Assessments
• Climate-Resilient Affordable Housing 
• Understanding, Managing, and Reducing Impacts of Increasing Heat

Events

On behalf of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, Broward County is proud to be hosting the 18th Annual Southeast Florida Climate Leadership Summit on November 4-6, 2026, at the newly renovated Broward County Convention Center. The theme of this year's summit is "Capitalizing on Climate: Action through Innovation." Please save the date and look for additional details, including registration information, in the coming months.  

We look forward to seeing you there!

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