Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment

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What's happening?

The City of Olympia is completing a Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA). A CRVA assesses the ways in which a community is susceptible to the impacts of climate change. The assessment includes three steps:

  1. Identify and assess exposure to hazards caused or made worse by climate change.
  2. Examine the potential impacts on populations, systems, assets or services that are vulnerable to those hazards will be examined.
  3. Rank the various climate-related risks according to their seriousness.

A Community Project Team, made up of members of the Olympia community, will also participate in the development of the CRVA. The purpose of this team is to share a diverse range of perspectives and insights on potential impacts of future climate hazards in our community (recruitment closed on April 14).

Why are we doing this?

Assessing vulnerability and risk is the first step to building resilience to climate impacts. The CRVA will lay the foundation for future climate adaptation projects and planning in Olympia.

How did we identify and assess exposure to hazards caused or made worse by climate change?

The City worked with ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability to evaluate existing information and data about current climate hazards and expected future conditions. This assessment included an evaluation of local climate data and projections related to temperature, precipitation, streamflow, sea level rise, wildfire, and air quality. The results of this analysis are documented in Olympia’s Climate Conditions Report.

How did we engage the community?

From May to September 2023, we conducted community outreach to identify how the Olympia community is being impacted by climate change.

Community perspectives were collected through several mechanisms:

A Community Program Team, made up of City Staff and members of the Olympia community, provided in depth guidance and feedback throughout the impact assessment process. The Project Team met 5 times, between May and October 2023, to learn about local climate hazards and evaluate potential impacts on the Olympia community.

Community members were also invited to share their personal perspectives and concerns about the impacts of climate change through in-person workshops, outreach at community events, and an online survey. During the in-person events, participants were also invited to contribute their ideas to a collaborative community mural, designed by local artist Carrie Ziegler.

More information about the community engagement conducted for this project can be found in the Community Engagement Summary.

What's next?

The CRVA isn’t done yet! City staff are continuing to explore several climate hazards and impacts that require further research. This research will help us refine our priority list of high-risk impacts and identify which climate risks that City should address. Completing the Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment is the first step towards developing the Climate Resilience Element for Olympia’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update.

Stay informed

Sign up for our Climate Newsletter or contact Pamela Braff at pbraff@ci.olympia.wa.us or 360.753.8249.

What's happening?

The City of Olympia is completing a Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA). A CRVA assesses the ways in which a community is susceptible to the impacts of climate change. The assessment includes three steps:

  1. Identify and assess exposure to hazards caused or made worse by climate change.
  2. Examine the potential impacts on populations, systems, assets or services that are vulnerable to those hazards will be examined.
  3. Rank the various climate-related risks according to their seriousness.

A Community Project Team, made up of members of the Olympia community, will also participate in the development of the CRVA. The purpose of this team is to share a diverse range of perspectives and insights on potential impacts of future climate hazards in our community (recruitment closed on April 14).

Why are we doing this?

Assessing vulnerability and risk is the first step to building resilience to climate impacts. The CRVA will lay the foundation for future climate adaptation projects and planning in Olympia.

How did we identify and assess exposure to hazards caused or made worse by climate change?

The City worked with ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability to evaluate existing information and data about current climate hazards and expected future conditions. This assessment included an evaluation of local climate data and projections related to temperature, precipitation, streamflow, sea level rise, wildfire, and air quality. The results of this analysis are documented in Olympia’s Climate Conditions Report.

How did we engage the community?

From May to September 2023, we conducted community outreach to identify how the Olympia community is being impacted by climate change.

Community perspectives were collected through several mechanisms:

A Community Program Team, made up of City Staff and members of the Olympia community, provided in depth guidance and feedback throughout the impact assessment process. The Project Team met 5 times, between May and October 2023, to learn about local climate hazards and evaluate potential impacts on the Olympia community.

Community members were also invited to share their personal perspectives and concerns about the impacts of climate change through in-person workshops, outreach at community events, and an online survey. During the in-person events, participants were also invited to contribute their ideas to a collaborative community mural, designed by local artist Carrie Ziegler.

More information about the community engagement conducted for this project can be found in the Community Engagement Summary.

What's next?

The CRVA isn’t done yet! City staff are continuing to explore several climate hazards and impacts that require further research. This research will help us refine our priority list of high-risk impacts and identify which climate risks that City should address. Completing the Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment is the first step towards developing the Climate Resilience Element for Olympia’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update.

Stay informed

Sign up for our Climate Newsletter or contact Pamela Braff at pbraff@ci.olympia.wa.us or 360.753.8249.

Page last updated: 12 Jan 2024, 04:21 PM