Thriving amid disruption and uncertainty

To thrive amidst environmental and societal disruption, communities must confront emerging risks while addressing historical drivers of vulnerability such as poverty and systemic racism. AGCI works to discover, support, and inform approaches that foster resilience in communities across the United States. We collaborate with scientific, governmental, and non-governmental organizations to help decision makers understand climate risks and pursue equitable solutions.

community resilience projects

Understanding Decision Support for a Changing Climate

How can society better support the decisions and actions needed to adapt to a changing climate? By exploring the experiences of practitioners who protect communities from rising seas and extreme heat, maintain safe water and power supplies, or design resilient infrastructure, along with perspectives from federal agencies and climate service organizations, AGCI is “mapping” how climate information is provided and used to support decisions. Insights from this landscape assessment will inform recommendations for how research funders, service providers, and boundary organizations can improve the overall support structure for making decisions in a changing climate.

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User Guide to Climate Change Portals

The climate is changing, and communities need to prepare. There’s no shortage of climate change data available online but communities need help finding and sorting through these myriad resources and understanding what online climate change information can and can’t tell them. This user’s guide to climate change portals helps people and communities effectively acquire and interpret climate change information appropriate for their locality. Whether you’re a city or county staffer, other professional, or a concerned resident, this guide will help you navigate to the climate information most appropriate and useful to you and your community.

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Working with the Water Utility Climate Alliance

The Water Utility Climate Alliance, an alliance of 12 of the largest water utilities in the US, has been an important partner in AGCI’s work on climate change adaptation. This includes creating the Leading Practices in Climate Adaptation report, which presents adaptation actions WUCA agencies have found effective, and providing climate and hydrology expertise to support WUCA’s technical training courses on Building Resilience to a Changing Climate.

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Mountain West Climate Services Partnership

Record drought. Deadly heat waves. Year-round wildfires. Climate change already affects Mountain West communities, with more drastic changes yet to come.  The Mountain West Climate Services Partnership informs and supports efforts to build community resilience across the 11-state Mountain West region. Explore the Mountain West Climate Services Partnership website to access resources for communities seeking help or to engage with other climate service providers.

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Assessment of Nature-Based Coastal Solutions

To accelerate coastal climate adaptation that supports both nature and society, decision makers need to understand the effectiveness of nature-based solutions to protect everything we value at the shore, from critical wildlife habitat to cultural and built infrastructure. To do this, AGCI piloted a sustained assessment approach to gather, synthesize, and share leading practices in nature-based coastal adaptation.

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Street-level closeup of storm drain with water running into it

What are climate services?

How much air conditioning will buildings need to keep up with rising temperatures? How much capacity will stormwater drains need to handle heavier downpours? How should a local government engage its community to reduce wildfire risk? Answering these questions, and many others, requires solid climate change information and guidance on how to use it. That’s what climate services are all about.

planetary boundaries framework

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