Searchable Case Studies for Climate Change Adaptation

Communities across the United States are anticipating, planning, and preparing for the impacts of climate change. Below are examples of municipal, state, or tribal communities that have taken action.

Select from the options below to view cases according to the area of interest, geographic region, or level of government. Use the search function to view cases according to key words or areas of interest not provided below (Example: Sea Level Rise, Drought, or Green Infrastructure).

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Case Name	Description	Area of Concern	Level	NCA	Priority
Rhode Island Finances Municipal Wastewater Adaptation Efforts to Minimize Climate Risk	See how Rhode Island helps municipalities address climate vulnerabilities in wastewater treatment facilities through a statewide financing program.	Water Quality, Water Utility, Getting Started, Sector Specific Adaptation Planning	Local, State	NE	1
Shaktoolik, Alaska Uses a Statewide Grant to Adapt to Coastal Climate Risks	See how the Alaskan Native village of Shaktoolik funded the development of a community shelter in response to coastal climate risks.	Water Quality, Water Utility, Ecosystem Protection, Water and Public Health, Getting Started, Comprehensive Adaptation Planning, Environmental Justice	Local, State, Tribal	AK	2
New York State Finances Matching Grants to Facilitate Climate Adaptation Projects	Learn how New York State provides matching grants to communities to implement climate adaptation projects.	Water Quality, Extreme Heat and Public Health, Water and Public Health, Getting Started, Comprehensive, Sector Specific, Environmental Justice	State, Local	NE	1
Hawai'i Develops an Assessment and Implementation Plan to Strengthen the Climate Resilience of its Highway System	Learn how Hawai'i is preparing its highways for climate impacts.	Sector Specific, Getting Started	State	PI	1
Virginia’s Coastal Resilience Master Plan Improves Community Resilience While Prioritizing Environmental Justice	Learn how Virginia plans address the state’s coastal climate vulnerabilities while prioritizing environmental justice.	Water Quality, Water Utility, Ecosystem Protection, Water and Public Health, Getting Started, Environmental Justice, Comprehensive Adaptation Planning	Local, State	SE	1
Washington State DOT Develops a Climate Impacts Vulnerability Assessment	See how Washington State’s vulnerability assessment aims to protect its transportation system from a changing climate.	Water Quality, Getting Started, Sector Specific	State	NW	1
Rhode Island Uses Urban Forestry to Adapt to Climate Change and Improve Public Health	Learn how State government and a nonprofit partnered to support urban forestry initiatives, improve tree equity, and enhance climate resilience.	Water Quality, Air and Public Health, Extreme Heat and Public Health, Water and Public Health, Environmental Justice	Local, State	NE	2
Seabrook, NH Plans for Sea-Level Rise	Learn how New Hampshire’s regional Rockingham Planning Commission helps communities prioritize resources to respond to sea-level rise.	Sea Level Rise	Local	NE	0
Northeast Indiana Counties Collaborate to Develop Debris Management Plans	See how several Northeast Indiana counties—Noble, LaGrange, Steuben, and DeKalb—developed debris management plans with the Northeast Indiana Solid Waste Management District (NISWMD).	Waste, Disaster Debris	Local	MW	0
King County, Washington, Helps Municipalities Account for Climate Change in Local Government Services	Learn how King County, Washington is helping municipalities address climate change in local government services, including solid waste management.	Sector Specific Adaptation Planning, Waste	Local	NW	0
Yakima River Basin Plans for Future Water Availability	See how federal, state, tribal, county, and city governments are working to meet water supply and ecosystem restoration needs of the Yakima River Basin.	Drought, Water Quality, Water Management, Ecosystem Protection, Change in Fish	Local	NW	0
Lake County, Illinois Stormwater Commission Develops a Tool to Support Wetland Restoration Planning	See how Lake County implemented a no-net-loss wetland acreage policy with a net gain in wetland function goal to improve their water quality and flood storage capacity.	Water Management, Ecosystem Protection, Wetland Protection	Local	MW	0
Bridgeport, CT Prepares for Changes in Indoor Air Quality	See how the city of Bridgeport recognized vulnerability to the impacts of climate change on IAQ as part of its BGreen initiative.	Indoor Air, Air and Public Health	Local	NE	0
The City of Boston Plans for Adaptation	See the process by which the Boston city government assessed vulnerability and developed an adaptation plan to respond to sea level rise and other climate risks.	Comprehensive Adaptation Planning, Sea Level Rise	Local	NE	0
Central New Mexico Prepares for Climate Change in Its Long- and Short-Range Metropolitan Transportation Plan	See how Central New Mexico is working to improve air quality by accounting for future climate change in the city’s transportation plans and ongoing projects.	Sector Specific Adaptation Planning, Air and Public Health, Outdoor Air Quality,	State	SW	0
DC Utilizes Green Infrastructure to Manage Stormwater	See how the Washington, DC Water and Sewer Authority will use green infrastructure to reduce combined sewer overflows, maintain water quality, and provide adaptive flexibility to changing climate conditions.	Stormwater Runoff, Flooding and Storms, Smart Growth, Water Quality, Water Utility	Local	NE	0
Washington, DC Wastewater Facility Reinforces Facility Against Floods	See how a wastewater utility in Washington, DC is protecting their facility by building a sea wall that accounts for higher river elevations and changing climate conditions.	Flooding and Storms, Sea Level Rise, Water Utility	Local	NE	0
Boston Raises Wastewater Facility to Avoid Inundation	See how Boston's Deer Island Water Treatment Facility redesigned their facility to account for expected sea levels and routinely evaluates performance under the best-available climate science.	Sea Level Rise, Water Utility	Local	NE	0
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts Assesses Climate Vulnerability	See how Manchester-by-the-sea used a EPA tool to help assess drinking water system vulnerability to sea level rise.	Water Utility, Sea Level Rise, Sector Specific Adaptation Planning	Local	NE	0
Iowa City, Iowa Removes Vulnerable Wastewater Treatment Facility	See how Iowa City, IA responded to riverine flooding risk by decommissioning a vulnerable facility and expanding service outside the floodplain.	Flooding and Storms, Water Utility	Local	MW	0
Smart Growth Along the Riverfront Helps Manage Stormwater in Iowa City, Iowa	See how Iowa City, IA used smart growth strategies to increase climate change resiliency by removing vulnerable structures and managing stormwater along the riverfront.	Stormwater Runoff, Water Quality	Local	MW	0
Chicago, IL Improves Extreme Heat Preparedness Adaptation Plan for Extreme Heat	See how Chicago, IL is improving climate resilience to extreme heat events by engaging vulnerable communities and improving disaster response protocols.	Air and Public Health, Environmental Justice	Local	MW	0
Chicago, IL Uses Green Infrastructure to Reduce Extreme Heat	See how Chicago, IL assessed public health vulnerability to extreme heat events and is adapting by utilizing green infrastructure to reduce urban heat island hotspots in anticipation of future climate risk.	Extreme Heat and Public Health	Local	MW	0
Salt Lake City, Utah Adapts to Improve Air Quality Through Smart Growth	See how Salt Lake City is implementing strategies that are reducing air pollutants in anticipation of increasing threats from climate change.	Outdoor Air Quality, Air and Public Health	Local	SW	0
Tampa Bay Diversifies Water Sources to Reduce Climate Risk	See how a Tampa, FL water utility reduced vulnerability and evaluated climate threats to sea level rise exacerbated saltwater intrusion.	Source Water Impacts, Water Utility, Saltwater Intrusion, Drought	Local	SE	0
California Prepares for Increased Wildfire Risk to Air Quality From Climate Change	See how California is improving resiliency to particulate matter threats by planning to adapt to increased climate threats from wildfires.	Air and Public Health, Outdoor Air Quality, Sector Specific Adaptation Planning	State	SW	0
Southeast Florida Compact Analyzes Sea Level Rise Risk	See how South Florida counties and municipalities partnered to develop a comprehensive sea level rise assessment.	Saltwater Intrusion, Water Utility, Sea Level Rise	Regional	SE	0
New York City Assesses Extreme Heat Climate Risk	See how New York City, NY assessed climate risk from extreme heat and is undertaking efforts to reduce current and future vulnerability.	Air and Public Health, Sector Specific Adaptation Planning, Extreme Heat and Public Health	Local	NE	0
Camden, New Jersey Uses Green Infrastructure to Manage Stormwater	See how Camden, NJ water utility used an EPA tool to assess the climate risks from projected precipitation increases and vulnerability of greater combined sewer overflows.	Stormwater Runoff, Flooding and Storms, Water Utility, Water Quality	Local	NE	0
Pennsylvania Protects Coldwater Fisheries and Water Quality from Climate Change	See how Pennsylvania is planning to adapt to climate threats to water quality criteria and protect ecosystem health, particularly for cold water fisheries.	Change in Fish, Erosion and Sedimentation, Stormwater Runoff, Ecosystem Protection, Water Quality	State	NE	0
Anacortes, Washington Rebuilds Water Treatment Plant for Climate Change	See how a water utility in Washington state partnered with experts to redesign and rebuild a water utility to adapt to sea level rise and other changing climate conditions.	Source Water Impacts, Flooding and Storms, Drought, Water Utility, Saltwater Intrusion, Adaptation Planning	Local	NW	0
Southwest Florida Assesses Salt Marsh Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise	See how Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program and Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council assessed the sea level rise climate vulnerability of marshes and wetlands and identified potential adaptation strategies.	Estuary, Wetland Protection, Water, Ecosystem Protection	Regional	SE	0
Fredericktown, Missouri Prepares for Climate Change Drought Risk	See how a water utility in Fredericktown, MO used an EPA tool to assess climate vulnerability for their source water from drought, erosion and sedimentation.	Erosion and Sedimentation, Source Water Impacts, Flooding and Storms, Water Utility, Water Quality, Drought	Local	MW	0
Maryland Analyzes Coastal Wetlands Susceptibility to Climate Change	See how the state of Maryland used a modeling tool to assess the vulnerability of salt marshes to projected sea level rise.	Wetland Protection, Ecosystem Protection, Water	State	NE	0
Minnesota Assesses Climate Risk to Public Health	See how Minnesota has assessed projected public health risks from climate change across the state.	Water and Public Health, Air and Public Health, Waste and Public Health, Sector Specific Adaptation Planning	State	MW	0
Southern Nevada Water Authority Assesses Vulnerability To Climate Change	See how the Southern Nevada Water Authority used an EPA tool to better assess climate vulnerability to drought and harmful algal blooms.	Algal Blooms, Source Water Impacts, Drought, Water Utility	Regional	SW	0
New York City Adapts To Deal with Projected Increase of Heat Waves	See how New York City has used its vulnerability assessment to anticipate and prepare for changing conditions by using adaptation strategies to reduce extreme heat vulnerability.	Air and Public Health, Extreme Heat and Public Health	Local	NE	0
Massachusetts Surveys Climate Readiness of Public Health Departments	See how Massachusetts has surveyed local health departments to assess vulnerability to expected climate changes.	Water and Public Health, Air and Public Health, Waste and Public Health, Sector Specific Adaptation Planning	State	NE	0
American Cyanamid Superfund Site Reduces Climate Exposure	See how American Cyanamid Superfund Site responded to disaster by rebuilding facilities to account for expected climate changes.	Waste, Contaminated Site	Local	NE	0
San Juan Bay Estuary Program Assesses Vulnerability and Targets Low Risk Adaptation Measures	See how the San Juan Bay Estuary Program assessed climate risk to the bay and identified adaptation strategies to reduce ecosystem vulnerability from changing climate conditions.	Estuary, Wetland Protection, Ecosystem Protection, Water, Sector Specific Adaptation Planning, Environmental Justice	Local	SE	0
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Identified Smart Growth Strategies for More Resilient Communities	See how the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments developed an adaptation plan with policy options for the consideration of its local jurisdictions.	Comprehensive Adaptation Planning	Regional	NE	0
Minnehaha, MN Creek Watershed District Assesses Stormwater Management Climate Vulnerability	The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, responsible for Minneapolis, Minnesota, considered climate projections to better understand climate threats and vulnerability to stormwater management capabilities.	Stormwater Runoff, Flooding and Storms, Water Utility, Water Quality	Regional	MW	0
Barre City, Vermont Accounts for Climate Change within a Brownfield Redevelopment Plan	Barre City, Vermont used the Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives Checklist to better understand the climate vulnerability of a redevelopment project on a brownfield site.	Waste, Contaminated Site	Local	NE	0
Quinault Indian Nation Plans for Relocation	See how the Quinault Indian Nation is considering climate (sea level rise, storm surge, and river flooding) and non-climate (tsunami) risks together to form a village relocation plan.	Comprehensive Adaptation Planning, Sea Level Rise, Flooding and Storms, Environmental Justice	Tribal	NW	0
Augusta, Georgia Brownfield Cleanup	See how a simple checklist helped Augusta, GA, better understand the climate vulnerability of a Brownfields redevelopment project.	Waste, Contaminated Site	Local	SE	0
San Francisco Cleans Up India Basin Waterfront Brownfield Site as Part of Greenspace Development Effort	See how San Francisco is working to transform brownfields property into greenspace.	Waste, Contaminated Site	Local	SW	0

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Searchable Case Studies for Climate Change Adaptation

Climate Change Adaptation Resource Center (ARC-X)