Bay Area Climate Adaptation Network

If one city builds a seawall and their neighboring city doesn’t, flooding from the rising Bay can just get exported nextdoor. Local governments like to do things their own way, but sometimes it helps to work together, especially with regional and statewide challenges like extreme weather or the advancing ocean.  Many cities, counties, and water and utility districts have begun the hard work of figuring out how to adapt. The Bay Area Climate Adaptation Network (BayCAN) is a collaborative network of local government staff and partnering organizations working to help the region respond effectively and equitably to the impacts of climate change. Developed by local government, for local government and the communities they serve, BayCAN focuses on adaptation challenges in water supply, sea level rise, wastewater and stormwater management, wildfires, ecosystems, and public health. A recent focus is how to plan more equitable projects. 

Photo: North Bay Lightning Complex fires in 2020 cloud the view from a Fairfield home.  Photo: Robin Meadows.