Boulder County Climate Change Preparedness Plan
Climate change poses numerous challenges to human health and the environment in Boulder County, Colo. Already, prolonged dry spells in recent years have contributed to major wildfires that have caused significant damage to private and public property, threatened lives, and impaired local air quality. Future climate change impacts on the local community could be significant.
Recognizing this challenge, the Boulder County Commissioner’s Sustainability Office commissioned Abt Global to lead the development of a Boulder County Climate Change Preparedness Plan.
Abt’s team of researchers, analysts, and adaptation specialists conducted detailed scientific assessments of potential changes in climate in Boulder County and along the Colorado Front Range. We reviewed vulnerabilities and risks in the following sectors: water resources, emergency management, agriculture and natural resources, and public health. We also worked with county stakeholders and adaptation experts to identify potential responses to the impacts of climate change within the four sectors.
In addition to providing information on potential climate impacts and opportunities to mitigate them, the plan presents specific policy recommendations to improve the county’s adaptive capacity and topics for future study, for each of the four sectors addressed in the plan.
Read the plan: Boulder County Climate Change Preparedness Plan