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The impacts of climate change in California are wide ranging and experienced in myriad ways across the state. Climate impacts affect large cities and small towns, our natural places and our built environment, a wide array of sectors, and the full diversity of California’s 40 million residents.
Governments and public agencies at all levels are impacted by climate change and have some responsibility to help California adapt. No one single government or entity is fully “in charge” of building climate resilience and can lead this effort alone. In the case of climate driven catastrophic wildfires, for example, multiple governments play important roles: federal agencies like the U.S. Forest Service; state agencies like CAL FIRE and state conservancies; and local county and city governments. Additionally, non-governmental entities including Fire Safe Councils, Resource Conservation Districts, timber companies, neighborhood councils, and other groups are involved.
Partnerships, coordination, and collaboration in our efforts to build climate resilience are essential given the diversity of threats California faces and the vast array of entities that are focused on building our resilience to these threats. All entities – from individuals, to tribal, local, regional and state governments, to community-based organizations and the private sector – hold a piece of the puzzle and must work together to leverage each other’s strengths and actions in response to the climate crisis.
Working together to build climate resilience allows us to go further, faster. In this strategy, we move beyond the broad recognition of the need to build partnership to institutionalizing these partnerships and collaboration to deliver results.