Climate Smart Communities Initiative
Overview
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Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI) provides funding, expertise, training, and other resources to help communities on the front lines of the climate crisis advance their climate resilience plans and projects while also developing the strategies and capacities that communities nationwide will need as climate impacts intensify. The CSCI is managed by a consortium of partners, including the Climate Resilience Fund, EcoAdapt, Fernleaf, Geos Institute, ICF, and the Environment, Equity, and Justice Center at NRDC, working closely with the NOAA Climate Program Office. Over the next several years, we will support communities nationwide in building their internal capacity, matching them with appropriate external partners, and providing guidance and funding resources. EcoAdapt will lead this project's monitoring and evaluation component to learn what is effective in community support delivery and adaptation practice. The assessment of adaptation efficacy and the implementation of evidence-based adaptation strategies are crucial for enhancing our collective outcomes and scaling up adaptation efforts. CSCI provides a unique opportunity to learn at a scale that matches the challenge of climate change.
Launch of the Climate Smart Communities Initiative
CSCI is a core component of the federal government’s strategy for advancing climate resilience. For more information about these programs, please refer to the White House Climate Resilience Summit Factsheet. Read NOAA’s press release about CSCI here.
Project Activities
Grant Applications and Funding
Community Sign-Up Forms
The Registry of Climate Adaptation and Resilience Professionals!
The Registry of Climate Adaptation and Resilience Professionals is an online database that connects communities to qualified climate adaptation and resilience practitioners. The Registry highlights organizations that work in the field of climate adaptation and resilience, are committed to following best practices, and have a track record of high-quality results.
Any organization that offers adaptation or resilience services can apply to join and, once accepted, increase its visibility with communities nationwide seeking climate services and become eligible to apply along with community leaders for funding from CSCI.
Find more details on the Registry’s benefits and eligibility requirements, and access the application at www.ClimateSmartCommunity.org/Registry/.
The Adaptation Help Desk
NOAA's Steps to Resilience Training
The Steps to Resilience training equips adaptation professionals with the essential skills to effectively lead communities through resilience and adaptation planning and projects. Learn more about the trainings offered here.
