by Stacy Kotorac and Radha Neelakantan

November 29, 2010 - ICLEI–Local Governments for Sustainability USA launched its Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) Program, designed to help local governments to increase their resilience to climate change impacts.    The eight areas that are pioneering the program include Boston and Cambridge, MA; Flagstaff and Tuscon, AZ; Grand Rapids, MI; Lee and Miami-Dade Counties, FL; and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.  By participating in the program, these “Inaugural Adaptation Communities” will gain access to a wealth of resources about adaptation planning, including a tool to assess vulnerabilities and risks and develop climate action plans, case studies and training on best practices in local climate change adaptation, as well as an online forum for local governments to share their experiences. ICLEI USA Executive Director Martin Chavez explained that “[t]hese leading communities wisely recognize that climate change is happening now, and that they must begin planning for impacts that will only become more severe in the coming decades.”