Adaptation Strategies for Rural and Small Communities
This tab includes strategies, best practices, and legal and policy analysis relevant to adaptation efforts in rural and small communities.
Resources are automatically presented by rating, but can be sorted by date or title. Apply additional filters to narrow the list by resource type, impact, jurisdictional focus, state, or region.
52 results are shown below.
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Resource
May 2016
The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry initiative is the Department's framework for helping farmers, ranchers, and forest land owners respond to climate change. The effort involves voluntary, incentive-based conservation, resilience planning, resource conservation, and energy programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon sequestration, and expand renewable energy production in the agricultural and forestry sectors. In this report USDA published the results of case studies that demonstrate exemplary climate smart agriculture and forestry practices for each of the ten “building blocks:”
Soil Health
Nitrogen Stewardship
Livestock Partnerships
Conservation of Sensitive Lands
Grazing and Pasture Lands
Private Forest Growth and Retention
Stewardship of Federal Forests
Promotion of Wood Products
Urban Forests
Energy Generation and Efficiency
Each case study is a one page review describing the sustainability achievements and climate solutions implemented.
Resource Category: Solutions
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October 2016
This report analyzes feedback from over 600 respondents from 48 states and 19 countries working on climate adaptation at the local level. The report makes the case that climate adaptation at the local level is vital, but that local practitioners need additional support. Data collected by Antioch University New England’s Center for Climate Preparedness and Community Resilience was used to the determine the issues that local communities face when adapting to climate change and offers recommendations to better meet those needs.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Abigail Abrash Walton, Christa Daniels , Michael Simpson, Jason Rhoades
Resource Category: Solutions
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2017
From the American Planning Association (APA), this report discusses strategies for using local subdivision ordinances and the site plan review process to enhance flood resilience. Recommendations are given for creating standards that protect natural floodplain function. The report discusses how climate change is increasing flood risks in communities.
Author or Affiliated User: James Schwab
Resource Category: Solutions
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January 2016
Delaware’s Green Infrastructure Primer, released in 2016, provides an overview of nature-based approaches that can mitigate stormwater runoff, flooding, erosion, and water and air pollution. The primer provides an introduction to green infrastructure, fact sheets regarding eight green infrastructure practices, three case studies showing examples of green infrastructure being used in Delaware, a discussion of larger-landscape-scale green infrastructure efforts, and suggested resources for more information.
Resource Category: Solutions
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October 2015
In Deep chronicles the Local Recovery Planning Manager (LRPM) program that was implemented by the non-profit organization New Jersey Future for selected Hurricane Sandy-affected coastal communities in greatest need. This report describes the program’s initial goals, successes and challenges, and lessons learned that can inform future disaster recovery initiatives both in New Jersey and across the country.
Author or Affiliated User: David Kutner
Resource Category: Solutions
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August 19. 2015
This report describes how climate-related extreme weather events exacerbate existing socioeconomic inequalities. In this case, the report highlights the disproportionate challenges experienced by frontline communities during the California drought that began in 2012, which includes communities of color and low-income people living in tribal, rural, and farming communities. The report discusses the following topics: the causes and severity of California’s drought; the drought’s impacts on the national food system; demographics, water rights, and drought impacts in agricultural communities; and policy recommendations.
Author or Affiliated User: Wendy Ortiz
Resource Category: Solutions
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January 2015
After visiting more than 30 communities across the U.S. that are preparing for climate change, two enterprising young authors identify six big lessons from ongoing adaptation work in this report released by the Georgetown Climate Center.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Allie Goldstein, Kirsten Howard
Resource Category: Solutions
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March 2013
The Sustainable Working Waterfronts Toolkit is a web-based portal to many resources for decision and policy makers, waterfront landowners, and waterfront users. The Toolkit contains information about the historical and current use of waterfront space; the economic value of working waterfronts; and legal, policy, and financing tools that can be used to preserve, enhance, and protect these valuable areas. The Toolkit also features detailed case studies of successful working waterfronts initiatives from communities around the country.
Resource Category: Solutions
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April 2019
Developed by the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) in 2019, this report summarizes the findings of a survey of 15 Regional Climate Collaboratives (RCCs) that are supporting climate change action at the regional scale in the United States. RCCs are networks that coordinate adaptation (and sometimes mitigation) work across jurisdictional boundaries in municipal regions of the U. S. and often include local and state government representatives as well as nonprofit, academic, and private partners.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Steve Adams , Karina French
Resource Category: Solutions
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May 27, 2020
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region IX partnered with the Georgetown Climate Center to present the Level Up Audio Project to support local conversations about hazard risk and resilience, empower communities to advance resilience, strengthen a network of hazard mitigation and climate adaptation professionals, and inspire action. Level Up’s episodes discuss themes including climate change; equity, environmental justice, and social resilience; hazard mitigation; ecosystems and natural resilience; and more.
Resource Category: Solutions
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