|
Why A Climate Adaptation Initiative? |
|
Preparing our watersheds for climate change requires decreasing uncertainty to acceptable levels by effectively estimating potential changes to climate, hydrology, and ecosystems based on the best science available at the watershed scale. This information is a critical starting point for understanding potential impacts to many sectors, including biodiversity, agriculture and transportation infrastructure.
While Sonoma County leads the nation's local governments in the development of a coordinated greenhouse gas mitigation strategy(reducing greenhouse gases known to cause climate change), a parallel County coordination effort focused on climate adaptation (preventative measures aimed at reducing the eventual cumulative impact of climate change on resources of concern) is needed. |
|
|
Even if humans stopped emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere today, scientists agree that due to current levels of these gases in the atmosphere the world will inevitably experience significant climate change impacts, including effects on water supplies, agriculture, and fish and wildlife habitats—Sonoma County’s ecosystem services—that support our local economy. We are at a pivotal moment when science must inform local planning by predicting site-specific future climate scenarios, defining vulnerabilities, quantifying uncertainties, and outlining response strategies. |
|
Grown out of a recent three day conferenceon watershed climate change adaptation in Sonoma County, the North Bay Watershed Climate Change Adaptation Initiative is based on the goals of three new working groups aimed at the implementation of eight climate change adaptation strategies identified by conference participants. The working groups are:
- Habitat Conservation & Stewardship
- Science, Technology & Land Management Nexus
- Policy
These working groups will address the needed actions towards implementation of specific climate change adaptation strategies. Each working group has a dedicated section on this site, where members can participate in discussions, learn about in-person meetings, and share supporting materials and documents. To participate, create a new account and check the working groups you'd like to join. |
|
|
The North Bay Climate Adaptation Initiative is a group of natural resource managers and ecologists formed during the 2009 State of the Laguna Conference. Members are experts and community leaders from a range of natural resource science and management fields critical to understanding the climate adaptation challenge and options for action. Three working groups arose from the conference, representing the science, policy, and stewardship aspects of responding to climate change. |
|
One of the strategies for climate change adaptation is to maximize the sharing of relevant information. This is why the North Bay Watershed Climate Change Adaptation Initiative is linked in with the San Francisco Bay Area Conservation Commons, a data sharing platform to maximize information exchange. One of the first actions of the Science, Technology & Land Management Nexus working group will be to establish a database of recent, ongoing, and planned research and restoration projects. It will also establish a forum for land managers to share their research and restoration needs.
Through the actions and outcomes of these working groups and the utilization of the SF Conservation Commons Sonoma County’s community of resource managers, scientists, farmers and private stakeholders can begin to collaborate on implementing climate adaptation strategies tailored to protect the hydrology, habitats, and local communities of Sonoma County watersheds. |
|
|
