Local Climate Change Impacts To Be Discussed At Symposium in Davis
The effects of weather extremes, as well as catastrophic and creeping habitat loss, will be among the issues discussed at the Sacramento Valley Regional Climate Symposium.
The Feb. 6 event, which the Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative is organizing, will be held at the University of California, Davis. Key climate risks identified in a regional report from California’s Fourth Climate Assessment will be highlighted at the event, which is open to the public.
The regional reports from the Fourth Climate Assessment support climate actions by providing an overview of climate-related risks and adaptations strategies tailored to specific regions. The report defines Sacramento Valley as Sacramento, Yolo, Sutter, Yuba, Colusa, Glenn, Butte, Tehema, and Shasta counties, eastern Solano County, and western Placer County.
The report, which UC Davis professors Benjamin Houlton and Jay Lund served as the coordinating lead authors, summarizes important changes in climate and climate-related risks in the region and provides promising actions for local decision-makers. Topics include public health, community planning, environmental justice, water, energy, and infrastructure.
While California is a world-leader in climate policy, several climate hazards continue to affect the region such as extreme temperatures that lead to drier conditions and wildfires, a decline in the predictability of droughts and floods, and loss of ecosystem habitats, according to the report.
Public health is also at risk. Extreme heat waves contribute to heat-related stress, illnesses and human mortality. Risks also include an increase in disease-causing pathogens like West Nile virus, Valley Fever, and harmful algal bloom.
The report discusses adaptation options for combating climate change, including the benefits of climate-smart buildings, more accessible public cooling centers to help with frequent and prolonged heat waves, and incorporating climate risks into regional plans for energy, water, and transportation.
Workshop participants will also learn about funding opportunities, key tools, and resources. They will also engage in discussions to inform the state’s Adaptation Planning Guide.
The symposium, and others like it, are being held throughout California to help communities, policymakers, governments, and environmental organizations better understand and prepare for the local impacts of climate change.
Register for the workshop by Feb. 4 here.
