BARNSTABLE – State officials recently unveiled the state’s new Statewide Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan, titled ‘ResilientMass’, a blueprint for efforts to combat climate change and severe weather events in the Commonwealth.
The plan outlines 142 actions being conducted by various state agencies and establishes an Office of Climate Change to coordinate and headline such efforts.
Scientific findings from the Massachusetts Climate Change Assessment informed the decision to create the plan, identifying flooding from sea level rise and precipitation and high heat as significant threats to the state.
“This is the year that changed everything. We saw frosts, floods, extreme heat, and fires devastate our communities,” said Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer. “These weather events are only expected to increase. ResilientMass represents a whole-of-government approach to ensure that every agency is working toward a more resilient, healthy future.
“With this collaboration, we see the power of collaboration in preparing for future disasters.”
Priority actions include the development of a statewide floodplain management plan, reevaluating construction standards in the state’s building code to create flood-resilient infrastructure, redesigned sea walls, and increased shading and foliage to complement the implementation of Heat Flag systems in areas deemed to be urban heat islands, like Barnstable.
Climate actions are tracked publicly and can be found by clicking here.
By, Matthew Tomlinson, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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