During the 2019 NADO Annual Training Conference (October 19 - 22 in Reno, NV), Tonya Graham shared information on how regional organizations can best support communities in addressing climate resiliency.

1. Building Regional Climate Resilience
Tonya Graham, Geos Institute
National Association of Development Organizations – Reno, NV
October 21, 2019
ClimateWise®

2. Emily CC BY-NC
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Mission: To keep human and natural communities whole
in the face of climate change.

3. Weather and climate
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4. Greenhouse gases – why we love them
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Black: Other Gases Orange: Carbon Dioxide
Historic – 280 ppm Safe – 350 ppm Current – 410 ppm

6. International Panel on Climate Change
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• Human activities have caused warming of roughly 1 degree
Celsius (high confidence)
• Likely to reach 1.5 degrees Celsius between 2030 and 2052 if
we stay on course with our emissions (high confidence)
• Warming from the pre-industrial era to the present will causer
further long-term changes to the climate system, but they are
unlikely to cause warming of 1.5 degrees. (medium confidence)
• Risks are higher for 1.5 degrees than for the present, but lower
than at 2 degrees of warming (high confidence)

7. International Panel on Climate Change
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Call on governments to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by 45% by 2030

8. What have you noticed?
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9. Responses to Climate Change
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 Mitigation (reduce emissions)
 Adaptation/Resilience (reduce impacts)

11. Whole Community Approach
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Addresses climate change risk across all 5 systems:
 Human (health, emergency response, safety)
 Natural (ecosystems, species, natural function)
 Economic (local business, industry, agriculture)
 Built (infrastructure)
 Cultural (indigenous resources, local traditions)
Results in cross-sector, collaborative, innovative solutions

13. Project Scale
• Individual communities
• Counties
• Regional organizations
• Watersheds

14. The Elephant in the Room
Political polarization
around the issue of
climate change

15. Yale Climate Opinion Maps
• Searchable by county, state, metro area, and
congressional district across the US
• Updated annually
• Interesting!
• https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizatio
ns-data/ycom-us/

16. Regional Climate Adaptation Collaborative
A group of diverse public, private, and/or
nonprofit entities representing a region
and committed to preparing that region
for the emerging impacts of climate
change.
Decisions:
• Scope
• Organization

17. Sierra Climate Adaptation
and Mitigation Partnership
sbcsierracamp.org

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A program of Sierra Business Council (SBC)
Non-profit that pioneers and demonstrates innovative approaches
and solutions to increase community vitality, economic
prosperity, environmental quality, and social fairness in the
Sierra Nevada.
sierrabusiness.org
Supported by member contributions, network donations, and
public goods surcharge grant funds from Pacific Gas & Electric.

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A partnership of organizations, businesses & local
governments promoting climate adaptation &
mitigation strategies across the Sierra.
1. Educate & engage on CA climate solutions
2. Climate policy engagement
3. Strengthen urban-rural relations
4. Support & initiate demonstration projects
5. Build stakeholder capacity
Sierra CAMP activates our region on climate change.
Sierra Climate Adaptation & Mitigation Partnership

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MEMBERS
Rosemarie
Smallcombe,
Mariposa County
Supervisor
Susi Lippuner,
Community
Member
Karen Ferrell-
Ingram, Land
Conservation
Specialist
Garry Bowen,
Tahoe Future
Forum
Deseret Weeks,
Researcher,
UC Merced
• 16 local, state & federal agencies
• 1 tribe
• 6 businesses/associations
• 13 non-profits/CBOs
• 5 public individuals

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Climate Change & The Sierra Nevada: Happening Now
Data Source:
CA 4th Climate Assessment Sierra Nevada
Regional Report
Sierra CAMP Vision:
prevent and mitigate
adverse climate impacts
both to rural and
downstream urban
communities and
ecosystems.

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Why a regional, collaborative approach?
“Adaptation requires coordination across multiple sectors, geographical scales, and levels of
government . . . Because impacts, vulnerability, and needs vary by region and locale, adaptation
will be most effective when driven by local or regional risks and needs.”
“A regional collaboration is best suited to address regionally-scaled problems, coordinate
advocacy to higher levels of government and leverage existing resources for greater effect
on regional climate challenges.”
-Institute for Sustainable Communities
Regional Resilience Primer

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Why a regional, collaborative approach?
“One size does not fit all in climate adaptation or mitigation. Urban regions necessitate different
approaches from rural, natural resource-based regions. Nevertheless both types of regions need
to work together, as they depend on each other for social, environmental, and economic vitality.”
- Nikki Caravelli, Sierra CAMP Project Manager

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Key Benefits of Regional Climate Action:
• Coordination of shared ecosystem services
• Leverage local, state, and federal resources
• Expanded convening power
• Increased Capacity
• Platforms for mainstreaming action into governance processes
• Coordinate efficient, effective action across multiple governments and
sectors
• Reduce and resolve conflict
• Pool funding, communication, and capacity
- Institute for Sustainable Communities: Regional Resilience Primer and
Regional Governance for Climate Action

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Key Challenges of Regional Climate Action:
• Defining shared value propositions and goals
• Investing in long-term strategies
• Respecting local authority
• Complexity and scale
- Institute for Sustainable Communities: Regional Governance for Climate
Action

26. Sierra Business Council
10183 Truckee Airport Road
Truckee, CA 96161
(530) 582 4800 sierracamp@sierrabusiness.org
www.sbcsierracamp.org

27. Small Group Question 1
What is your name, organization, and region –
and what is one thing you love about your
region?

28. Small Group Question 2
What climate change impacts do you think your
region is most likely to experience and who is
most vulnerable to those impacts?

29. Small Group Question 3
What is an obstacle your region is likely to face
as it works to build climate resilience and how
can it be addressed?

30. Resources

31. Resources
arccacalifornia.org

32. Resources

33. Resources
GEORGETOWN CLIMATE CENTER

34. Resources

35. Contact Us
TONYA GRAHAM – TONYA@GEOSINSTITUTE.ORG