California Climate Change Assessment

California Climate Change Assessment
Name	California Climate Change Assessment
Formation	2006
Type	Scientific assessment
Headquarters	Sacramento, California
Region served	California
Parent organization	California Natural Resources Agency

California Climate Change Assessment The California Climate Change Assessment is a statewide series of scientific syntheses that evaluate observed and projected climate change impacts across California. The Assessment informs planning and decision-making for agencies such as the California Natural Resources Agency, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Air Resources Board, and it draws on expertise from universities, federal agencies, and research laboratories including the University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and NASA. Major reports have shaped programs tied to policies like Assembly Bill 32 and Senate Bill 32, and have intersected with legal frameworks such as the California Environmental Quality Act and initiatives like the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

Overview

The Assessment synthesizes peer-reviewed research from institutions including California State University, Sacramento, University of California, Davis, University of California, Irvine, University of California, Santa Cruz, California Institute of Technology, Claremont Colleges, Pepperdine University, San Diego State University, University of Southern California, California Polytechnic State University, San Francisco State University, Humboldt State University, Sonoma State University, University of California, Riverside, University of California, Merced, Mills College, Santa Clara University, Loyola Marymount University, University of the Pacific, University of San Diego, Point Loma Nazarene University, California Lutheran University, Chapman University, California State University, Long Beach, California State University, Northridge, California State University, Fullerton, California State University, Chico, California State University, San Bernardino, California State University, Stanislaus, California State University, Bakersfield, California State University, Los Angeles, California State University, Monterey Bay, California State University, Sacramento Research Foundation, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, Pew Charitable Trusts, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, Union of Concerned Scientists, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and National Park Service to provide regional projections, impact assessments, and adaptation guidance.

Scientific Findings

Scientific findings draw on climate models such as those developed by the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project and regional downscaling efforts from centers including Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Reports document trends in global warming, rising sea level rise, glacier and snowpack decline in the Sierra Nevada, increasing frequency of extreme heat linked to events like the 2020 Western North America heat wave, and altered precipitation patterns exemplified by the California droughts of the 2010s and 2020s. The Assessment highlights connections to human health crises referenced in studies from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wildfire dynamics paralleling the Camp Fire (2018), and infrastructure stresses like disruptions to the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project. Findings reference ecological changes observed in locations such as Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, Death Valley National Park, Point Reyes National Seashore, Channel Islands National Park, and effects on species listed under the California Endangered Species Act and the Endangered Species Act.

Regional Impacts

Regional analyses segment impacts across Northern California, Central Valley, Southern California, Sierra Nevada, Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert, Coastal California, and the San Francisco Bay Area. The Assessment documents threats to water supplies tied to the Sierra Nevada snowpack and reservoirs such as Lake Shasta and Perris Reservoir, coastal inundation risks for communities in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, Long Beach, Santa Monica, and Santa Barbara, and agricultural vulnerabilities in counties like Fresno County, Kern County, Stanislaus County, Merced County, Monterey County, Imperial County, and Ventura County. Urban heat islands in cities including Sacramento, Bakersfield, Riverside, and San Bernardino intersect with social vulnerabilities in neighborhoods studied by researchers at Public Policy Institute of California, Urban Land Institute, California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, and California Department of Public Health. Coastal and marine impacts reference ecosystems such as the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Elkhorn Slough, and estuaries like the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta.

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies

Strategies described include emissions reductions in line with targets from Assembly Bill 32 and Senate Bill 32, land-use planning exemplified by California Coastal Act considerations, renewable energy deployment tied to proposals from the California Public Utilities Commission and California Energy Commission, and transportation changes related to policies from the California Air Resources Board and programs by Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Bay Area Rapid Transit. Nature-based solutions reference work by The Nature Conservancy and California Department of Fish and Wildlife on wetland restoration, creek daylighting projects in municipalities such as San Jose and Santa Clara, and forest management partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Adaptation funding mechanisms discussed involve agencies like the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, grant programs from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and planning frameworks such as the Governor's Office of Planning and Research guidance and local hazard mitigation plans coordinated with Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Policy, Governance, and Implementation

Implementation spans state statutes including Executive Order S-3-05, Executive Order B-55-18, Senate Bill 605, and regulatory programs administered by California Air Resources Board, California Natural Resources Agency, California Department of Water Resources, California Energy Commission, California Public Utilities Commission, and California Highway Patrol for infrastructure resilience. Cross-jurisdictional coordination involves tribal governments such as the Yurok Tribe, Hoopa Valley Tribe, Pomo people, Miwok people, Mutsun people, and interagency collaborations with federal entities like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Bureau of Land Management. Legal cases and litigation in state courts and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit have influenced project siting and environmental review processes under the California Environmental Quality Act.

Assessment Process and Methodology

The Assessment uses methods from climatology groups at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, hydrology research from United States Geological Survey, ecology modeling from Saint Louis University collaborators, socioeconomic analysis from Public Policy Institute of California and Rand Corporation, and risk-assessment frameworks promoted by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change guidance. Peer review panels commonly include scientists from University of California, Los Angeles, University of California, Santa Barbara, University of California, Berkeley School of Law, Stanford Law School, California Institute of Technology Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and representatives from NGOs such as Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Defense Fund. Data sources include entries from the National Climate Assessment, downscaled climate datasets from PRISM Climate Group, hydrologic records from the California Data Exchange Center, and species occurrence data from the California Natural Diversity Database.

Category:Climate change in California