A Special NOAA Training: Climate Adaptation & Planning for Communities

NOTE: Registration is now closed for this event. If you would like to attend, please email sjiang [at] airquality [dot] org or sign up for the waitlist through Eventbrite.

Would you like to help reduce the negative impacts of climate-related events on your community?

Are you curious about the data, tools, processes, strategies, and partnerships needed to prepare for climate change impacts?

If you answered “yes” to either question, then this training is for you.

Local communities are on the front lines of climate change, whether residents are facing heat illnesses, drought, or flooding. But local communities can also play a key role in building resilience, through working together to develop solutions such as heat wave emergency plans, stormwater system upgrades, and smart, forward-looking infrastructure investments.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) and the Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborate (CRC) are pleased to bring this training workshop on climate adaptation and planning to the Sacramento region.

This intensive, highly interactive three-day training course provides individuals with a climate adaptation toolkit to proactively address adaptation planning in the context of local government priorities. Course modules are taught by NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management training staff and local partners.

You will learn about local climate adaptation efforts from expert practitioners working in California. Through individual work and group discussions, you will apply what you learn in each module and identify and document steps that your organization can take to effectively integrate climate adaptation strategies into policies, plans, and programs. Session modules and topics include:

• Introduction: Setting Your Course for Adaptation

• Climate Science: Comprehending Processes and Impacts of Climate Change

• Vulnerability Assessment: Informing Adaptation Actions

• Adaptation Planning: Identifying and Assessing Adaptation Measures

• Climate Communication: Applying Communication Research to be Effective

• Implementation: Turning Strategies into Action

Added benefits include extended networking with peers who share your interest in adaptation planning and opportunities to collaborate with other climate and adaptation specialists from the region.

RSVPs

Due to limited space and for purposes of food planning, registrations are required. Please note that attendance across all three days is required.

We know that schedules are busy and in flux. If you can no longer attend this workshop, please cancel your RSVP as early as possible so that we can open the seat to another person.

Lunch, as well as coffee and refreshments, will be provided on all three days.

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COURSE AGENDA

Day 1

Introduction: Setting Your Course for Adaptation

Goal: Participants will gain an understanding of adaptation planning concepts to address climate change issues. Through a classroom exercise, participants will learn the context for and challenges of climate adaptation.

8.30am Registration

9am Course overview and introductions

9:30am Activity: Protecting the Egg

Conceptual exercise on adaptation planning

10:30am Break

10:45am Climate Adaptation Concepts

11am Setting the Local Context

Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative, Kathy Dervin (Institute of Public Health), Salote Soqo (Environmental Justice Coalition for Water)

11:40am Activity: Characterizing your Community

Identify resources, assets, and places of concern through small-group activity.

12:30pm Lunch

Afternoon: Climate Science: Comprehending Processes & Impacts of Climate Change

Goal: Participants will understand the basic principles of the climate system as well as key climate projections and impacts on the Sacramento region.

1:15pm Activity: Multiplication

1:45pm Regional Data and Trends

Amber Mace, Deputy Director, California Council on Science and Technology

Julie Ekstrom, Climate Adaptation Initiative Director, UC Davis Policy Institute for Energy, Environment, and the Economy

2:15pm Break

2:30pm Panel: Region Impacts by Sector

Erin Chappell, Senior Environmental Scientist, Department of Water Resources

Richard Johnson, Executive Director, Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency

Adam Kotin, Associate Policy Director, California Climate & Agriculture Network

Kathleen Ave, Energy Research & Development, SMUD
3:30pm Activity: JobAid

Identify stressors and draft climate issue statements for an asset of interest

4:30pm Adjourn

Day 2

Morning: Vulnerability Assessment: Informing Adaptation Action

Goal: Participants will receive an overview of concepts used to assess the vulnerability of human and natural communities to climate variability and change, and will understand how vulnerability assessments inform adaptation-planning activities.

9am Working Group Introductions and Recap of Day 1
9:15am Vulnerability Assessment in a Nutshell

9:30am Building a Vulnerability Assessment - What to Ask For?

Activity: JobAid - Vulnerability Assessment Scoping

10:45am Case Study: Adapting to Rising Tides

Wendy Goodfriend, Senior Planner, Bay Conservation and Development Commission

11:25am Activity: Conducting a Qualitative Vulnerability Assessment

Work through a vulnerability assessment in a small-group setting.

12:15pm Lunch

Afternoon: Adaptation Planning: Identifying and Assessing Adaptation Measures

Goal: Participants will learn about a variety of adaptation measures and how to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. Participants will apply this knowledge to create a short list of adaptation measures targeting their climate issue statement.

1pm Activity: Ask Me

1:20pm Moving from Vulnerability Assessment to Adaptation Planning

1:35pm Case Study: Adapting to Rising Tides (continued)

Wendy Goodfriend, Senior Planner, Bay Conservation and Development Commission

2:15pm Introduction to Adaptation Options

Activity: Identifying Adaptation Options

3:15pm Evaluating Adaptation Options and Strategies - Processes and Feasibility

Activity: Assessing Adaptation Options

4:30pm Adjourn

Day 3

Morning: Climate Communication: Applying Communication Research to be Effective

Goal: Participants will learn effective hints and tips for communicating about their climate adaptation efforts. From an overview of recent climate communication research, participants will apply these concepts and findings to develop a compelling message to communicate with their target population.

9am Day 2 Recap

9:15am Introduction to Effective Communication

9:45am Communication Techniques for Diverse Audiences

Michel Boudrias, University of San Diego

10:45am Designing a Communication Strategy - Getting Started

JobAid - Part 1

11:05am Characterizing your Audience

JobAid - Part 2

11:30am Communication Design Elements

11:50am Activity: Framing Your Message

JobAid - Part 3

12:30pm Lunch

Afternoon: Implementation: Turning Strategies into Action

Goal: Through an exchange of expertise and information in an interactive exercise, participants will be able to identify solutions to different climate adaptation issues and a range of opportunities to move adaptation strategies forward.

1:15pm Adaptation Road Trip

1:45pm Case Study: Business Resiliency Initiative

Tammy Cronin, Valley Vision

2:45pm Activity: Small-Group Brainstorming and Poster Session

4pm Articulating Next Steps

4:15pm Course Evaluation

4:30pm Adjourn