Abstract |
The report presents the findings of a pilot project initiated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to work with stakeholders and governments in Iowa to identify barriers to and incentives for considering regional effects of climate change in hazard mitigation planning and other community planning processes. Communities in Iowa engage in multiple planning activities, including hazard mitigation planning and comprehensive or community planning, that can help guide them as they try to become more resilient to the effects of climate change. Iowa communities have been experiencing floods that are growing more severe and frequent, and state and local planners are working to identify local planning approaches that improve resilience to future floods and help communities recover after disasters. The first stage of the pilot project explored if and how climate change information should be considered in risk assessments and the implications this information may have for community planning options. The second stage focused on identifying adaptation solutions with mutual benefits and synergies across different planning requirements and emphasized the need to work across agencies and levels of government to optimize results. |