Climate Vulnerability Assessment

What is the Climate Vulnerability Assessment?

To continue its climate action efforts and become more resilient, the City of Rochester has conducted a Climate Vulnerability Assessment (CVA), released in 2018. The purpose of this CVA is to evaluate the City’s ability to adapt to anticipated climate change impacts in order to enhance its resilience planning efforts. By understanding the impact on Rochester’s resources, operations, and community, as well as who is most affected, the City can prioritize strategies that address its climate vulnerabilities. This project was supported in part by the New York State Climate Smart Communities Grants Program, Title 15 of the Environmental Protection Fund. The CVA Informed the Climate Change Resilience Plan, released in 2019.

View the Final Report here.

View the Highlights Report here.

Goals of the CVA

Investigate baseline and projected climate conditions.
Identify critical systems and assets including transportation, utilities, water, buildings, environmental resources, natural habitat, recreational spaces, public health, economy, cultural resources, social/human services.
Determine level of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of systems and assets due to potential climate change impacts.
Understand how climate change will affect our community, infrastructure and natural resources.
Prioritize actions needed to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Community Outreach

The City convened a technical advisory committee (TAC) comprised of individuals with technical expertise to help inform the assessment. View the slides from TAC workshops held on Mar. 14, 2018 and June 6, 2018.
A Public Input Session was held on Aug. 29, 2018 at Council Chambers. View the CVA presentation, CVA posters and University of Rochester’s Climate Change & Health Equity poster from the public input session.