Draft Climate Resilience Strategy

Please review our draft of Washington’s Climate Resilience Strategy and provide feedback via eComments. The last day to provide input in Thursday, July 11.

Background

Climate change is already increasing the severity of wildfires, heatwaves, droughts, and floods in Washington. Slower, less visible impacts caused by climate change, like sea level rise and ocean acidification, are also putting added stress on our state ’s communities, infrastructure, and the natural environment.

To help Washington prepare for these impacts, we're working with other state agencies to update Washington’s Climate Resilience Strategy by Sept. 30. The agency has now released a draft of that strategy and is seeking public comment on the plan.

The draft Climate Resilience Strategy identifies ways state agencies can take action and aid climate-response activities through existing and newly proposed work. It highlights current climate response work by agencies to address flooding, drought, and wildfire risks.

The draft also proposes new actions that address the highest climate change risks and vulnerabilities in Washington, such as doing more to address impacts of extreme heat, smoke, and changing water availability. The new plan places a special focus on identifying which people and communities might bear a greater burden of the impacts of climate change or who may need additional resources to address those impacts.

Climate Commitment Act funding

The Washington State Climate Resilience Strategy is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health.