EPA Climate Resilience and Adaptation Funding Toolbox (CRAFT)
Launched in September 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Resilience and Adaptation Funding Toolbox is an online resource that provides information and guidance to help funding applicants and technical assistance (TA) providers better understand EPA programs that can fund climate resilience and adaptation work. CRAFT is intended to be used before, during, and after funding application processes, by providing information about: EPA programs appropriate for incorporating climate resilience considerations, tools that can help stakeholders and applicants better understand climate risks, and materials to help communicate about climate change and environmental justice. The CRAFT website includes four primary sections: Funding Program Overviews, Climate Risk Assessment Resources, Communications Materials for Technical Assistance Providers, and Meaningful Engagement Resources for Climate Adaptation and Resilience.
The Funding Program Overviews page contains a table that lists EPA programs that can support climate adaptation and resilience work, the environmental media they apply to (e.g., land, water, air), and the status of the program, such as whether applications are currently being accepted. For each program on the list, an overview page is linked that can help potential applicants or TA providers determine if the program is a good fit for a particular project, by providing an overview of the program, information about applicant and project eligibility (including the types of adaptation projects that can be funded), types of technical assistance available, connections to other EPA, federal, or non-governmental efforts, and applicability of the program (if any) to the Justice40 Initiative requirements. For example, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program overview page notes that this funding can be used for a range of adaptation projects such as, but not limited to, encouraging climate-smart agriculture (e.g., riparian buffers) and projects that improve the resilience of a water treatment works in the face of increased flooding, either through on-site investments or community-wide stormwater management efforts.
The Climate Risk Assessment Resources page includes a searchable table of tools to help TA providers understand current and future risk to a proposed project. The table can be sorted according to hazards mapped (e.g., sea-level rise, heat, extreme precipitation, etc.), tool category (e.g., environmental justice mapping, climate hazard screening), and whether or not the tool uses only historical data or incorporates climate projections.
The Communication Materials page includes information and infographics to help TA providers explain topics that help applicants develop, apply for, and implement climate-resilient projects. It also includes a handout specifically on how green infrastructure can be used to promote climate resilience.
The Meaningful Engagement Resources page emphasizes the importance of meaningful engagement and intentional collaboration for ensuring the success of climate adaptation projects in communities. It includes guides on consultation and collaboration, capacity building, and public participation. It also links to EPA's Meaningful Engagement Policy and EPA's Equitable Resilience Builder, an online application that guides users through a process to "inclusively assess local hazards, equity, and the resilience of built, natural, and social environment systems." EPA also offers office hours and one-on-one coaching services alongside the use of the Equitable Resilience Builder.
Publication Date: September 2024
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Resource Types:
- Education/training materials
- Funding program
