Report: How R.I. can prepare for climate change
They are among the immediate steps laid out in the "Resilient Rhody" report, which is aimed at building on past studies by the
In the longer term, state government must work out how to aid municipalities, such as
"Better-prepared municipalities will lead to a better-prepared state," said
The report, nine months in the making, resulted from an executive order signed last September by Raimondo that called for the development of the first climate-change preparedness strategy for the state.
"Whatever climate change deniers in
One of the big questions surrounding climate change preparations is how they will be funded. The first chunk of money would come from the
There is federal money available, too, said O'Rourke, including new funding through the
The investments are well worth it, said O'Rourke. Every
O'Rourke pointed as an example to work done at Warren's wastewater treatment plant. The town followed recommendations from a DEM report that looked in part at the aftermath of the historic spring floods of 2010 that overwhelmed the
"[Warren] was one of the first communities around the state to incorporate climate change in their planning," O'Rourke said. "They were able to increase their resiliency beyond business as usual."
Also highlighted in the report are drinking water systems. Suppliers with reservoirs near the coast that are vulnerable to storm or sea level rise should consider backup interconnections, the report says.
Other areas of concern are the health of coastal marshes and their ability to act as buffers from storms and the Providence Hurricane Barrier and whether it will need to be raised as waters creep higher. The report also recommends more work to plan for inland flooding from higher-intensity rainstorms.
Thirteen state agencies and eight other groups, including Save
The report took into account previous state efforts to plan for climate change, including storm surge and sea-level rise projection maps developed by the
DEM director
"A lot more funding is needed," she said. "We've identified the vulnerabilities. Now, where can we find and direct funds?"
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