Local and regional governments across the state are struggling to address new regulatory mandates around climate change adaptation and resilience, extreme events and hazard mitigation/disaster recovery. This course will briefly walk the student through the federal, state, regional and local context for climate change adaptation and resilience, focused on the local government perspective. The class will then work through the California-specific paradigm of planning for the impacts of climate change. The class will build capabilities around what to consider when developing a vulnerability and adaptation plan, developing programs and policies and considering short and long term funding. A variety of professionals would benefit from attendance, including public agency planners, elected officials, city managers, finance professionals, attorneys, sustainability professionals, developers, regulators, state agency staff and others.
Students will leave with a basic understanding of how to address climate adaptation and resilience in California, including:
- What climate change adaptation and resilience means at the State, regional and local level
- Legislation specific to California that drives mandates and incentives to address climate change adaptation and resilience
- Specific resources/processes that are required to be used in California for addressing climate change adaptation and resilience
- How to develop a climate change vulnerability and adaptation/resilience plan
- Utilize implementation and financing tools to support climate change adaptation and resilience priorities