CSCI awards $3m to community-led climate resilience projects

Designed to support communities facing significant climate risks with constrained capacity and resources, the programme received a significant increase in applications submitted compared to last year. This year, CSCI received 271 applications from 44 US states, plus Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the US Virgin Islands, a 128 per cent increase from the previous year.

The selected communities are addressing a wide range of climate challenges, from flooding and wildfire to shifts in habitats and ecosystems. By investing in cross-sector partnerships, CSCI helps communities not only tackle immediate risks, but also build the capacity needed locally to sustain their resilience work over time. CSCI aims to augment local leadership with free planning and implementation resources and nationally vetted climate adaptation experts, ultimately increasing the ability of local communities to address climate change effectively and autonomously.

“We continue to be heartened by the leadership of communities and local governments working diligently to address climate impacts and build resilience through innovation and projects that support and improve people’s lives”

The urgency and potential impact like Winthrop’s underscore the importance of continuing to expand and sustain the CSCI programme. It is encouraging to be able to increase the number of communities CSCI supports each year and it leaves us better poised to continue that trend.

“CSCI partners continue to work to leverage and grow the programme’s reach and capacity. This year, we expanded our partnership with key federal partners,” said John Nordgren, managing director of the Climate Resilience Fund, one of five partners in CSCI. “And, of course, our efforts to engage private and corporate supporters have already led to successful leverage from philanthropy. We’re optimistic that our ambitions for growing and sustaining the programme will be realised as the impact of our investments and resources is recognised.”

This year’s cohort of 28 projects is the largest number that CSCI has awarded through its annual competition process. $3.1m in core funding for these projects, including over $2m from National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and nearly $1m from a donation from the Walton Family Foundation, together allowed CSCI to fund its highest number of projects to date.

“Local leaders are on the front lines of finding practical ways to protect water, restore nature, and help communities thrive,” said Amy Saltzman, senior programme manager, Walton Family Foundation. “Through CSCI, the Walton Family Foundation is proud to support the people and ideas making that work possible.”