About GCC's Adaptation Work

As floods, wildfires, droughts, and heat waves grow more frequent and more severe, state governments and municipal authorities are increasingly on the front lines in preparing for and dealing with the impacts of climate change. Planning for and responding to these climate driven risks requires public officials across the country to develop and implement new approaches, expertise, capacity and policy responses. The Georgetown Climate Center's Adaptation Program supports climate adaptation policymaking at every level of government through practical policy guidance, convening, and strategic implementation support, with a particular focus on responding to the growing risks of flooding, wildfire, extreme heat, and drought.

Supporting adaptation policymaking

GCC works to provide legal and policy analysis as states and communities develop and implement their adaptation plans and strategies.  Examples include:

• Supporting the development of better governance structures for adaptation policy through research and analysis, and envisioning new approaches and policy options that boost resilience and adaptation. 
• Analyzing federal and state programs to help policymakers invest public resources carefully, purposefully, and in ways that provide the greatest and most durable benefit to communities that need it most. 
• Working to enable laws, policies, and programs that encourage smart land-use planning, minimize new development in unsafe places and help at-risk communities adapt. This includes land use, zoning, and conservation policies that reduce dangers to communities and steer development away from risky areas like special flood hazard areas and the wildland-urban interface.

Sharing effective tools, models, and resources

To foster productive public conversations about climate risk and what should be done about it, we publish original research and curate online resources that people and communities can use to understand these ideas.  Each installment of our Adaptation Policy in Practice series spotlights one of the nation’s most effective state-level climate adaptation initiatives, presenting practical models for leaders building comprehensive adaptation programs. GCC also prepares and publishes toolkits on adaptation planning and implementation, and provides information on adaptation efforts at all levels of government through our State Adaptation Progress Tracker and our Adaptation Clearinghouse database. Together these tools give policymakers and advocates instant access to thousands of laws, reports, case studies, policy examples, and other resources relating to climate change impacts and adaptation. 

Convening adaptation professionals to learn from experts and each other

GCC brings together practitioners from across the country both in person and virtually to share their experiences and learn from each other. Every other month, our State Policy Forum leverages the lessons from our Adaptation Policy in Practice series, hosting a focused conversation with leaders of an exemplary state adaptation initiative as a model for other states to consider. Our Regional Collaboratives Forum harnesses the power of regional collaboration on a national scale, connecting more than 35 regional climate collaboratives and networks to share strategies and learn from one another. These opportunities help states and communities learn from their peers working on similar issues, and help practitioners at all levels of government build new partnerships and collaborate more effectively. 

Preparing future adaptation leaders

We also provide opportunities for Georgetown Law and Georgetown University students to gain real-world experience in the development of climate adaptation policy through legal and policy research and writing, and engagement with partner jurisdictions. 

If you have questions about our work or partnering with us, please email climate@georgetown.edu. 

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