Integrate climate resilience into city or tribal planning, policy, operations, and budgeting processes.

Climate Information: 

• The Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership provides resources, tools, and news about the changing climate in Minnesota. 
  • For example, the Regional Climate Summaries (UMN, 2024) with information on projected temperature and precipitation changes, as well as key climate impacts to sectors such as agriculture and tourism. 
• The Minnesota CliMAT (climate mapping and analysis tool) (MCAP, 2023) is an interactive online tool that provides highly localized climate projections for Minnesota. Users can view climate projections down to the 4km/2.6mile scale across the state, visualizing even how specific towns will likely be impacted in the coming decades.
  • See also the Minnesota Climate projections (MCAP, 2020) which uses statistical downscaling to provide map that project changes to MN Climate mid century (2041-2060) and end of century (2081-2100). 
  • See also the Climate Explore Tool (DNR, 2021) which uses the Minnesota Climate Projections to visualize both historical and future climate data. 
• See the Natural Hazard Risk Assessment and Vulnerability Analysis from the State of Minnesota Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024. Find specific data and information for different hazards, their probability, and mitigation potential. 
• The Explore Climate Impacts Tool (NIACS, 2018) details climate change impacts by regional ecosystems. 
• The Minnesota Climate & Health Vulnerability Assessment Tool (MDH, 2019) is a platform to visualize datasets that can contribute to a community’s vulnerability to extreme heat and floods.
• The Metropolitan Council Localized Flood Map Screening Tool and Extreme Heat Map Tool provide regional climate vulnerability assessments for community planning. 
• Use the Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool and Climate Risk and Resilience Portal from FEMA to examine the interplay of census data, infrastructure locations, and hazards, including real-time weather forecasts, historic disasters and estimated annualized frequency of hazard risk. 
• Risk Factor makes it easy to search by address or community to see its risk from flooding, wildfire, heat, and wind. past flood impacts, current risks, and future projections based on peer-reviewed research from the world's leading flood modelers. 
• Neighborhoods at Risk provides socioeconomic and climate data to help communities visualize potential problems and make informed decisions to adapt to long-term climate change. 
• Wildfire Risk to Communities provides interactive maps, charts, and resources to help communities understand, explore, and reduce risks to wildfires. 
• The Next American Migration: What Cities Should Know About Climate Change and Populations on the Move (NLC, 2022) report provides city leaders with the information they need to better understand the complexities of climate migration and proactively prepare for the future. It offers federal, state and local leaders recommendations on how they can incorporate climate change impacts and resulting population shifts into their municipal budgets, programs and long-term plans. 

Assessments: 

• South Central Minnesota Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment & Adaptation Plan includes a replicable assessment process and quantification of impacts for eight critical sectors that provides a useful model for greater Minnesota communities.
• See the Model Heat Vulnerability Assessment for Ramsey County as a framework for translating the data into a stakeholder report.

Planning: 

• Menu of Climate Adaptation Strategies (funded by MPCA) includes many "no regrets" strategies to improve daily quality of life for everyone, while helping reduce risk for those most vulnerable to climate impacts. Also view specific reports for 23 Minnesota communities. 
• Community-Driven Climate Resilience Planning: A Framework (2020, NACRP) provides a vital opportunity for cities to reorganize resources, foster meaningful relationships, and develop placed-based innovations that support all people to thrive despite climate disruption.
• South Central Minnesota Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment & Adaptation Plan includes an adaptation plan with objectives and recommendations that provides a useful model for greater Minnesota communities.
• See climate grants awarded by MPCA by location and type throughout Minnesota.
• Equity in Building Resilience in Adaptation Planning (NAACP, 2015) includes a list of equity-based indicators that measure vulnerability and resilience to climate change impacts and Centering Equity in Climate Resilience Planning and Action (AUNE, 2022) includes guiding principles and a 10-step process for achieving more equitable, just, and resilient communities. 
• Racial justice and climate change: Adaptation (FourTwentySeven, 2020) provides a discussion of the importance of racial equity in climate adaptation.
• Four city’s climate adaptation plans, process documents, and adaptation plan toolkits for their counties developed by Albert Lea, Burnsville, Faribault, and Maplewood with extensive community engagement during the pandemic.
• See the Morris Model - Community Resilience Plan.
• The MN Board of Water and Soil Resources' Landscape Resiliency Toolbox provides landscape planning options that will maintain long-term ecological, economic and social benefits.
• Consider Incorporating Nature Based Solutions Into Community Climate Adaptation Planning (EcoAdapt, 2022)
• The Flood Resilience Checklist  (EPA, 2014) can help your community prepare for flooding.
• See more flood-disaster resources under BPA 19.8. 
• The Community Resilience Indicator Analysis (FEMA 2020) shares commonly used indicators.
• Integrating Hazard Mitigation Into Local Planning (FEMA, 2013) provides case studies and tools for community officials. 
• The Great Lakes Climate Adaptation Toolkit includes short, useful background information and guides for planning/preparing plans.
• A Tribal Climate Adaptation Menu (GLIFWC: 2019) is a tool to assist in development of specific adaptation actions that recognize and incorporate Native American (Ojibwe and Menominee) perspectives.
• Include in your plan or adopt an Indigenous Land Acknowledgement - See BPA 6.1. 
• The Participatory Budgeting Project empowers people to decide together how to spend public money by creating and supporting participatory budgeting processes that deepen democracy, build stronger communities, and make public budgets more equitable and effective.