County of Santa Barbara Releases Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment

(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) – The County of Santa Barbara Planning and Development Department (P&D) is announcing the release of a Draft Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment (CCVA), which is available at sbco.mysocialpinpoint.com/sbc-climate-adaptation/documents. The County is accepting public comments on the CCVA through 5 p.m. Wednesday, October 22at ClimateVulnerabilityAssessment@countyofsb.org.

The CCVA is the result of a multi-year effort to improve community resiliency by analyzing how climate change could harm our community. The CCVA provides an opportunity for a closer look at specific climate-related hazards, like extreme heat, wildfires, sea-level rise, drought, coastal and inland flooding, agricultural pests and diseases, landslides, and extreme weather events, and how these hazards are likely to affect our communities now, and in the future.

It is well documented that climate-related hazards may impact people and communities disproportionately. Housing, income, education, race and ethnicity, culture, health, ability, and access to services matter greatly when assessing the extent and likelihood of harm caused by climate hazards. For this important reason, the CCVA integrates equity into the technical analyses, identifying populations that are most at risk of harm.

Highlights from the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment:

13 applicable climate change hazards identified in the county
A wide array of community assets evaluated, including economic drivers, ecosystems and natural resources, infrastructure, buildings and facilities, and key community services
16 “frontline populations” identified, e.g. those groups that experience the impacts of climate change earlier and/or to a more severe degree than others.

COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT
ADD 1-1-1

106 of 138 populations and assets were evaluated as having a “high” or “severe” vulnerability to climate change
Key findings to help guide work on the next phase of the project developing adaptation strategies

For more information, the public can visit the project website at countyofsb.org/CCVA, and sign up to receive e-mail updates specific to the CCVA, Climate Change Adaptation Plan, and Safety Element Update at signup.e2ma.net/signup/1883430/1753150/. For more information about the Safety Element Update, go to www.countyofsb.org/plndev/projects/safetyelementupdate.sbc. The public may also contact Project Manager Whitney Wilkinson by email at wwilkinson@countyofsb.org or call (805) 568-2067.

County of Santa Barbara One Climate Initiative

The County of Santa Barbara launched the One Climate Initiative to engage the public on a broad range of efforts to reduce carbon emissions, prepare for increased climate impacts, and improve community quality of life. To learn more and get engaged in energy and climate actions, go to countyofsb.org/oneclimate.