‘Ridiculous’ heat keeps tormenting Texas, with no end in sight” says an August 2023 Washington Post headline (Cappucci 2023). While preparing for and responding to extreme heat, residents in many neighborhoods worry about the severe thunderstorm that could quickly bring extreme precipitation and flooding or the poor air quality from nearby wildfires. During the summer of 2023, three-fourths of Texas was declared a wildfire disaster (Martinez 2023). As climate impacts become more frequent and longer in duration, how to prepare for and respond to interacting, cascading, or multi-hazard risk is increasingly important. Yet, significant gaps exist in how cities assess climate impacts and prepare for extreme weather through policies and programs that advance community resilience. This Policy Research Project will focus addressing climate extremes in Austin in partnership with the first in the nation, University-City Climate CoLab (hereafter Climate CoLab) that bridges academic, city, and community partners to conduct community-engaged climate research.
This two-semester PRP has three high level objectives:
1) work with downscale climate data and models to assess exposure to a range of climate hazards – extreme heat, winter storms, drought, wildfires, and flooding – and conduct human impact vulnerability assessments;
2) conduct policy benchmarking and prepare a roadmap for future policy development that includes sets of actions (investment, standards, programs, and policies) that Austin households, businesses, nonprofits, and governments can take; and
3) Create a roadmap for future technical and financial assistance, including opportunities for self-financed policy expansions.