Environment and Natural Resources

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS


Impacts of Climate Change on Californians

Impacts of Climate Change on Californians

Climate Change Will Have a Variety of Health Effects

Climate Change Will Have a Variety of Health Effects

Statewide Average Temperatures
Have Been Increasing in Recent Decades

Statewide Average Temperatures Have Been Increasing in Recent Decades

 

CLIMATE ADAPTION PLANNING

Key Steps in Adaptation Planning and Implementation

Figure 2_Key Steps in Adaptation Planning and Implementation
For more information, please see Assessing Vulnerability of State Assets to Climate Change

California Climate Change Assessments
and Guidance Documents

Document

Summary

Departments

Year

California Adaptation Planning Guide: Planning for Adaptive Communities

Guidance for local governments and regional collaboratives to address the consequences of climate change.

CalEMA, CNRA

2012

Safeguarding California Plan: 2018 Update

Catalogue of ongoing actions and recommendations to protect infrastructure, communities, services, and the natural environment from climate change.

CNRA

2018

Planning and Investing for a Resilient California: A Guidebook for State Agencies

Guidance document on steps of climate change planning for state agencies.

OPR

2018

California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessmenta

Scientific assessments of climate‑related vulnerabilities.

OPR, CEC, CNRA

2018

Paying it Forward: The Path Toward Climate‑Safe Infrastructure in California

How to incorporate climate change projections into the state’s infrastructure design, planning, and implementation.

CNRA

2018

aPrevious climate change assessments were released in 2006, 2009, and 2012.

CalEMA = California Emergency Management Agency; CNRA = California Natural Resources Agency; OPR = Office of Planning and Research; and CEC = California Energy Commission.

SEA-LEVEL RISE

Range of Sea-Level Rise
Projections for the California Coast

Range of Sea-Level Rise Projections for the California Coast
For more information, please see Preparing for Rising Seas: How the State Can Help Support Local Coastal Adaptation Efforts

Sea-Level Rise Will Impact the California Coast
in Multiple Ways

Sea-Level rise will impact the California coast in multiple ways

For more information, please see What Threat Does Sea-Level Rise Pose to California?

Three Key Strategies for Adapting to Sea-Level Rise

Three Key Strategies for Adapting to Sea-Level Rise

Benefits of Taking Action Early to
Prepare for Sea-Level Rise (SLR)

  • Planning Ahead Means Adaptation Actions Can Be Strategic and Phased. Early planning can allow coastal communities to adopt a phased approach that undertakes escalating actions when certain predetermined conditions or “triggers” are reached.
  • Undertaking Near-Term Actions Can “Buy Time” Before More Intensive Responses are Needed. Putting certain adaptation projects and strategies in place now can help postpone and extend the period before which subsequent, more difficult-to-implement actions are needed.
  • Early Implementation Provides the Opportunity to Test Approaches and Learn What Works Best. Acting to implement adaptation strategies in the near term will provide the opportunity to monitor, evaluate, and revise them in the coming years before SLR threats become more pressing.
  • Taking Action Earlier May Make Overall Adaptation Efforts More Affordable. Undertaking a multiyear, multistep strategic plan for coastal adaptation can allow local governments to spread costs over a longer period of time.
  • Coming Decade Is Key Window for SLR Preparation. Some adaptation strategies—such as fortifying certain tidal marshes—may not be effective against SLR unless they are implemented before sea levels rise to higher levels.

 

Last Updated: December 2021
LAO Staff Contacts

Eunice Roh
(916) 319-8327
Mass Transportation, Traffic Enforcement, Statewide Planning and Infrastructure
Sonja Petek
(916) 319-8340
Water, Coastal Development, and Fish and Wildlife
Helen Kerstein
(916) 319-8364
Forestry, Parks, and High Speed Rail