ICLEI USA partners with the Hudson Valley Regional Council and Hudson River Estuary Program to jumpstart local level climate adaptation in a workshop with Hudson Valley communities.
On February 8th, 2024, project partners ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability USA (ICLEI USA), Hudson Valley Regional Council (HVRC), and Hudson River Estuary Program (HREP) officially kicked off the “CAPI Adapt” program with a workshop in Peekskill, New York. Workshop participants—fourteen local governments from Westchester and Dutchess County—delved into the foundations of climate vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans.
CAPI Adapt is a support and training program helping Westchester and Dutchess communities identify climate change risks, conduct equitable community engagement, and lay the foundation for adaptation action.
To kick off the program, ICLEI USA designed a workshop introducing adaptation planning basics to municipal project teams. Our technical experts presented on:
- project structure,
- local climate projections,
- resilience visioning,
- strategizing for adaptation, and
- tips for staff and community engagement.
With support from facilitators, participants engaged in interactive exercises to identify climate change impacts and practice building consensus around adaptation strategies.
The project partners will provide ongoing support to participating communities as they work to complete their climate vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans. At the end of the program, communities will submit their planning documents for certification through New York State’s Climate Smart Communities program.
We are looking forward to continuing to support these participating communities through the CAPI Adapt program!
- Dutchess County
- City of Poughkeepsie
- Town of Pleasant Valley
- Town of Poughkeepsie
- Town of Rhinebeck
- Village of Rhinebeck
- Village of Wappingers Falls
- Westchester County
- City of Peekskill
- City of White Plains
- Town of Ossining
- Village of Hastings-on-Hudson
- Village of Irvington
- Village of Ossining
- Village of Tarrytown
Thank you to NEIWPCC, a regional commission working on water quality in the Northeast, for providing funding for CAPI Adapt.
This document was prepared as part of HVRC’s CAPI-Adapt Program for the Hudson River Estuary Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, with support from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund, in cooperation with NEIWPCC. The viewpoints expressed here do not necessarily represent those of NEIWPCC or NYS DEC, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or causes constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
