Climate Resilience Planning

Climate threats including flooding, extreme heat, wildfire, and impaired air quality continue to increase, with the most vulnerable in our community facing the largest impact. Santa Clara County must adapt to keep its communities safe and resilient against climate hazards while increasing equity and quality of life for all. Decision-makers, project partners, and community-based organizations (CBOs) can use this site to learn where and how to implement nature-based solutions to improve equitable climate resilience in the County.

Vision to Implementation Guide

A five-step process for jurisdictions and CBOs to collaboratively develop funding-ready climate resilience projects.

Resilience Project Mapping

A mapping tool to help identify where nature-based solutions can strengthen resilience and reduce community vulnerability to flood or heat risks.

Resilience Solutions Catalog

Nature-based physical interventions, policy interventions, and case studies relevant to climate hazards in Santa Clara County.

Multi-benefit Assessment

An in-depth analysis of the potential benefits and tradeoffs of a climate resilience project.

How to Use Our Tools

Watershed aerial taken from Google Earth

The Importance of Planning at the Watershed Level

The Collaborative strives to amplify climate resilience by taking a watershed approach in Santa Clara County. This approach emphasizes the interconnectedness of natural systems, encouraging regional thinking and coordination rather than isolated solutions. Integrated with these natural systems, nature-based solutions are a key to this approach to mitigating and adapting to climate change impacts.

Nature-based Solutions Benefits

Nature-based solutions (NbS) have a range of benefits for communities, environments, and climate resilience. NbS incorporate natural processes into urban environments to maximize prevention against climate hazards. As a project is developed, keeping these benefits in mind will help to engage multiple stakeholders and needs.