Climate Smart Communities Initiative
Overview
The Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI) provides funding, expertise, training, and other resources to help communities on the front lines of the climate crisis advance their climate resilience plans and projects while also developing the strategies and capacities that communities nationwide will need as climate impacts intensify. The CSCI is a unique public-private partnership managed by a consortium of six organizations, including the Climate Resilience Fund, EcoAdapt, Fernleaf, Geos Institute, ICF, and the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC), working in collaboration with the NOAA Climate Program Office, and with support from The Coca-Cola Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation. Over the next several years, we will support communities nationwide in building their internal capacity, matching them with appropriate external partners, and providing guidance and funding resources. EcoAdapt will lead the monitoring and evaluation component of this project to learn what is effective in community support delivery and adaptation practices. The assessment of adaptation efficacy and the implementation of evidence-based adaptation strategies are crucial for enhancing our collective outcomes and scaling up adaptation efforts. CSCI provides a unique opportunity to learn at a scale that matches the challenge of climate change.
Project Activities
Grant Applications and Funding
The CSCI is now accepting grant applications! The CSCI provides grants to climate adaptation professionals to create or advance a climate resilience plan or project in collaboration with a community that is on the front lines of the climate crisis. For more information, including how adaptation practitioners, community-based organizations, and local, regional, and Tribal governments can collaborate to apply, visit ClimateSmartCommunity.org/funding. Learning and Innovation
To help communities effectively prepare for climate change, adaptation practitioners need to know what works. The Climate Smart Communities Initiative is committed to sharing insights from its “Learning and Innovation” efforts to accelerate understanding of effective adaptation and guide sound investments in community resilience. To gain understanding, the Initiative has implemented learning and innovation practices with three primary goals:
Learn what works: Evaluate the effectiveness of funded projects in reducing social, economic, and ecological vulnerability to climate change. This includes assessing adaptation plans, actions, and the impact of Initiative support.
Share what works: Use evaluation results to identify and communicate which adaptation strategies best build resilience, helping inform policy and practice.
Improve the Initiative: Continuously assess and refine the Initiative’s processes, such as training, grantmaking, and knowledge exchange, to enhance impact and reduce burdens on communities and practitioners through adaptive management.
Learn more about CSCI's learning and innovation efforts here.
Workforce Development
The CSCI is committed to building the capacity of local communities to become more resilient, and training and workforce development are key. This is being accomplished through Steps to Resilience training opportunities offered through NOAA to adaptation practitioners and community leaders, as well as a cohort support program for grantees that includes monthly meetings and additional resources and technical expertise. The CSCI also provides support for the development of the Registry of Adaptation Practitioners, which is focused on building a system to allow communities to find qualified adaptation practitioners and allow those who work in the field of adaptation to easily reach one another. Learn more about CSCI's training and workforce development efforts here.
Partners
Related Projects
The Registry of Adaptation Practitioners!
The Registry of Adaptation Practitioners is an online database that connects communities to qualified climate adaptation professionals. The Registry highlights organizations that work in the field of climate adaptation and resilience, are committed to following best practices, and have a track record of high-quality results.
Find more details on the Registry’s review process and review the application here.
The Adaptation Help Desk
NOAA's Steps to Resilience Training
The Steps to Resilience training equips adaptation professionals with the essential skills to effectively lead communities through resilience and adaptation planning and projects. Learn more about the trainings offered here.