Climate Disruption - Vulnerable Marin

Just how vulnerable is Marin to climate change? Marin communities are already being impacted by effects of climate change, as witnessed in December with over $13 million in damages due to storms. How are we going to gauge our preparedness for this increasing stressor (not to mention wildfires and drought), not just in terms of the direct impacts, but also in terms of our ability to deal with and respond to the consequences of these impacts.

As we focus on the impacts of sea level rise in particular, a myriad of concerns surface, such as: how are transportation corridors going to be impacted? Are our water treatment facilities and pumping stations prepared to handle the disposal of surging storm waters? Is our water supply up to meeting demand? And what about emergency response….who is out there to help us, and in what way? Where do we begin to assess where to direct our attention and resources, both short term and long term, and where does the funding come from?

These are just some of the questions and concerns that speak to Marin's vulnerability. These harsh realities provide the context for this two-hour session where we will focus on the impacts of sea level rise that are most threatening to Marin County and explore the arena of assessing our vulnerabilities to those impacts.

Through speaker presentations and a panel discussion you will…

• hear about just how vulnerable Marin County is to the impacts of sea level rise
• be introduced to the process of assessing a community's vulnerabilities
• learn about the human side of vulnerability and our ability to deal with overwhelming challenges
• participate in a discussion about what is being done to assess and address Marin's vulnerabilities to sea level change