This project supports the Office of the Governor, Washington State agencies and some local jurisdictions in addressing climate resilience by providing an updated climate risk assessment designed to inform future updates to the statewide climate resilience strategy. Developed alongside the Washington State University IMPACT Center, the assessment compiles information on the biophysical and economic impacts of climate change.

CLIMATE RISKS AND IMPACTS ASSESSMENT

Photo credit: Washington Department of Natural Resources, CC by-NC-ND 2.0, Dabob Bay

Biophysical Climate Impacts

Data about expected local biophysical impacts of climate change in Washington State are available from, and managed by, a variety of organizations. Each of these sources of data differ in their accessibility and usability, especially for local governments that may lack the capacity and experience necessary to review data and select appropriate information for their local planning needs. There are national resources that include data for a limited number of biophysical impacts but the data are not based on regionally available datasets or cover some of climate change impacts that are relevant for local governments in Washington State.

To address this issue, the Climate Impacts Group developed Climate Mapping for a Resilient Washington, a web application that displays and summarizes biophysical climate impacts relevant for local risk assessment and planning.

To develop the tool, we selected the best available data and metrics for biophysical climate impacts for Washington state and sought feedback from stakeholders in this project (e.g., local jurisdictions, Washington state agencies). The climate data and metrics covers multiple hazards (extreme heat, heavy precipitation, drought and wildfire) and impacts to a variety of sectors, including water resources, infrastructure, and public health.

The tool displays climate impacts on maps and in tables and graphs. Users have the option to download the data and data summaries for their counties, which include figures and tables. The tool also provides information about how these changes are relevant to different sectors and how they can be used in local planning and assessment.

CLIMATE MAPPING TOOL

Economic Impacts

Little data and analysis exists documenting the economic impacts of climate change, or costs associated with climate change adaptation. Economic impacts of climate change include increasing risks to property and communities from flooding and wildfire, and potential losses of income in the agricultural sector due to increasingly severe and frequent drought. To avoid future economic impacts, individuals and communities may change their behaviors to adapt to climate change, which can lead to additional upfront costs. Examples of adaptation efforts include strategies for infrastructure relocation and protection from floods and fire, or additional investment in water storage to compensate for snowpack loss.

We will gather information about the economic impacts of climate change and climate change adaptation through extensive review of previous literature on climate change impacts, both Washington specific as well as more general; direct interaction with various Washington constituencies (agriculture, timber, power generation, outdoor recreation, manufacturing, etc.); and consultation with state agencies both monitoring and reacting to climate change impacts. The analysis will focus on identifying events associated with major climate change pathways and their associated economic risks.

Individual sectors of the Washington economy and different geographic areas will be impacted in different ways. What may represent a catastrophic climate change pathway for one sector  or location may be minimal or even beneficial to another.  To account for this, impacts will be analyzed by economic sector with both the potential risks and costs of adaptation ranked by sector. We will present the results of our survey and analysis with a report that provides insight into the economic impacts of climate change across various sectors of the Washington economy, and strategies for assessing the costs of adaptation to climate change, as well as costs of implementing any climate resilience strategies.

Related Studies and Resources

Tribal Climate Tool | The web tool created from this project is informed by the successes and feedback we have received for the Tribal Climate Tool. 

Washington State’s Integrated Climate Response Strategy | Initial conversations with the Washington State Governor’s Office centered on updating this strategy. The sector categories used in this response strategy informed the sector categories in the web tool.

Summary Report: Are Washington State Agencies Preparing for Climate Change? | This 2018 summary was prepared by Dr. Joe Casola of the UW Climate Impacts Group and draws upon the research conducted by Dani Ziff and Dr. Nives Dolšak, UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs.

Climate Change Adaptation by Washington State Agencies: Implementation and Performance | This master’s thesis by Dani Ziff was a collaboration between the University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group and the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs designed to answer: (1) What is the status of climate change adaptation across and within Washington State agencies? (2) What approaches are other states employing to track performance on adaptation plan implementation? (3) What types of monitoring and evaluation frameworks can agencies apply to their adaptation efforts going forward?