City of Chula Vista, California Climate Adaptation Plan

In 2010, the City of Chula Vista's Climate Change Working Group (CCWG) evaluated the potential impacts from climate change on municipal infrastructure and services, and recommended strategies to adapt to these potential impacts. In October 2010, the CCWG presented 11 recommended Climate Adaptation Strategies (see Appendix A) to the City Council to address climate change vulnerabilities and solutions related to energy and water supplies, public health, wildfires, biodiversity, coastal resources, and the local economy.  At the City Council's direction, City staff developed more detailed implementation plans for each of the 11 strategies, which included steps, timelines, and costs.  The plans were formally adopted by the City Council in May 2011.

The 11 strategies expand the city's urban forests, incorporate "cool" or reflective roofs, promote gray water and other water reuse, adjust open space management due to climate change and design future development and municipal projects to be resilient to the rise in sea level. Initial implementation of all 11 strategies is planned over a three-year period.

The report provides good examples of mainstreaming climate change adaptation into existing processes and plans. Strategies include updating existing plans such as the City’s Emergency Response Plan and Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan to include extreme heat events and the appropriate response actions to mitigate the impacts from the events.

Pertaining to sea-level rise, the Climate Change Working Group recommended that Chula Vista amend its land development codes and CEQA guidelines to incorporate climate change related sea-level rise into future development and municipal infrastructure projects’ design and review.

Publication Date: May 2011

Related Organizations:

  • City of Chula Vista, California

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  • Adaptation plan

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