Project Overview
RCC worked with the Gold Standard Foundation to develop, test, and apply a framework for preparing local climate adaptation projects. With support from a technical advisory committee, RCC piloted the framework with stakeholders and project owners in Pittsburgh and on San Cristóbal Island in the Galápagos.
RCC then developed an online tool for conducting climate resilience assessments that meet the standard. The tool was used for the Bethania-Sakerty ‘Productive Ravine’ restoration project in Guatemala City.
The Problem
As funding for local climate resilience grows, project owners and funders need practical ways to assess whether investments will reduce risk. Designing around a single hazard, such as extreme heat, can leave communities exposed to other hazards and make later adaptation harder. Local projects need to account for hazards that can occur together, including heat, high winds, power outages, heavy rain, and flooding.
Project teams also need methods for using downscaled climate projections, incorporating local knowledge, building local capacity to adapt, and assessing risks across interconnected systems.
RCC’s Role
RCC and the Gold Standard Foundation developed a step-by-step project preparation framework and guide alongside the multi-hazard assessment tool.
Applications to Date
The framework and tool have supported specific projects and training in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa. They also informed the standards used by Canada’s Climate Ready Infrastructure Service (CRIS).