TO: Mayor and Commissioners
FROM: Kent Edwards, Sustainability Officer
THROUGH: Jennifer Alvarez, Interim City Manager
DATE: July 13, 2021
Title
UPDATE PRESENTATION ON THE CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT STUDY
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Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Presentation only.
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Background:
The Palm Beach County Coastal Resilience Partnership (CRP) began in 2017 as the ‘Inlet to Inlet’ group, with several municipalities and Palm Beach County, joining together to discuss measures to address future effects of sea level rise and climate change. CRP members formalized an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) in 2019 between the City of Delray Beach, City of Boca Raton, City of Boynton Beach, Town of Highland Beach, City of Lake Worth Beach, Town of Lantana, the Town of Ocean Breeze, and Palm Beach County. The ILA allowed for collaborative pursuit of grant funds, and administration of funding that was obtained.
In early 2020, the CRP initiated a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment (CCVA) project, as a regional approach is cost effective, and may encourage coordinated implementation of policies across jurisdictional boundaries. A series of workshops were held by the CRP to collect input from the community, municipal and Palm Beach County staff, and elected officials. Information on climate threats and community assets was collated, and assessments of vulnerabilities and risks associated with climate change have been completed. The project is in the final phase, with potential adaptation strategies being evaluated, a GIS-based interactive tool (AccelAdapt) nearing completion, and a final report in preparation.
This presentation provides a brief overview of completed tasks, and illustrates the process undertaken during the vulnerability assessment, by showing examples from the AccelAdapt tool.
City Attorney Review:
NA
Funding Source/Financial Impact:
NA
Timing of Request:
NA