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.
51 results are shown below.
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January 2017
This report focuses on ways that local governments can prepare for climate change impacts through land use and building policies. The report focuses on smart growth strategies that offer multiple benefits beyond climate preparedness including cost-savings, energy efficiency, increasing transportation options, and building economic opportunities. The strategies presented in the report are categorized as modest adjustments, major modifications, and wholesale changes, in order to help local governments determine which options are most appropriate for their own community.
Resource Category: Solutions
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January 19, 2017
The Georgetown Climate Center report, Lessons in Regional Resilience, documents lessons learned from regional climate collaboratives, which are bringing together local governments and other stakeholders to coordinate climate change initiatives at a regional level. This synthesis report shares lessons from each of the collaboratives in individual case studies, and offers insight to their goals, planning processes, and funding sources. The report is intended to help local governments consider models for coordinating at the regional level to facilitate planning and action to prepare for the impacts of climate change and draws on examples from six regional collaboratives from around the country.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Annie Bennett , Jessica Grannis
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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This series of five fact sheets explain Low Impact Development (LID), Green Infrastructure (GI), and sustainable design in order to help communities understand and adopt smart land use. This information describes how LID and GI not only help to manage stormwater and improve groundwater supplies, but also can reduce flooding, improve water quality, lower maintenance costs, and increase property values. MassAudubon suggests that preserving existing GI is a first line of defense against climate impacts such as increased storm intensities, while achieving long-term cost savings.
Resource Category: Education and Outreach
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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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October 2016
This USDA report provides information and resources to help farmers prepare for and respond to the regional impacts of climate change. The report summarizes the effects of climate change on agriculture and natural resources in the Midwest and Northeast U. S. and overviews strategic options for climate adaptation in agriculture. The USDA provides new resources to bring climate change planning to the farm - including adaptation strategies and approaches, an adaptation workbook, and examples for assessing and planning.
Resource Category: Planning
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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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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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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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January 2016
The Rutgers Climate Institute put together this fact sheet to provide a brief and accessible summary of the impacts of climate change on agriculture in New Jersey, which includes climate effects that will impact crops, livestock, aquaculture, and fisheries. It explores the primary climate change risks to agriculture and fisheries in the state, and provides short summaries on how these sectors can both adapt to climate risks and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Resource Category: Planning
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October 27, 2015
This document provides background information and guidance to Louisiana’s state and local governments on the retreat and resettlement process, and outlines the strategy for the ongoing resettlement of the Isle de Jean Charles Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Native American community. As sea level rise and land loss threaten Louisiana’s low-lying regions, coastal communities must consider the costs and benefits of retreat and resettlement. The report provides a history of resettlement in the United States and makes the case that the resettlement of Isle de Jean Charles is just the beginning of more resettlement projects in the region.
Resource Category: Planning
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