Climate Resilience
CEC, the Gray Panthers Santa Barbara Network, and the Society of Fearless Grandmothers Santa Barbara hosted a forum for seniors to address how they can prepare for extreme heat and play a more direct role in building community resilience. Photo by Sarita Relis Photography.
Our Vision
Building resilience requires a whole community approach that considers socioeconomic inequities and structural racism, and prioritizes community-led solutions that support a broad range of needs. CEC is pioneering climate adaptation and resilience efforts that are rooted in equity, catalyzed by place-based innovation, and integrated into long-term planning so that
our approach evolves with our changing world.
In 2023, CEC:
Through the Santa Barbara County Wildfire Resilience Collaborative, prioritized 10 sites in the City of Goleta and surrounding areas for habitat restoration and wildfire resilience projects, and updated plans to accelerate the implementation of more than 50 projects identified by the Regional Priority Plan to Reduce Wildfire Risk and Improve Forest Health in Santa Barbara County.
Led community engagement, developed tools, and provided technical assistance for the California Central Coast’s first three climate resilience hubs. A Resilience
Hubs Accelerator program was designed so that we can activate more resilience hubs throughout our region, more quickly.
Joined the global Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance (EHRA) and collaborated with regional partners to raise awareness about the increasing threat of extreme heat events in our region. Together, we are identifying solutions that support our most
at-risk populations.
Community-designed and led centers for resilience that offer centralized disaster services, support, and education to residents who are most vulnerable, or at high risk, during disasters.
“Extreme heat causes more deaths annually than any other climate impact in California. The combination of an extreme heat wave and power outages could present a large-scale tragedy for our most vulnerable residents.”
—Em Johnson
Director of Climate Resilience, CEC
What’s Ahead
Continue to lead and participate in regional and statewide adaptation networks, including the Central Coast Climate Collaborative, the Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation, and EHRA. These networks help us track, advocate for, and be ready to unlock significant state funding and investment for climate resilience, building capacity across the nexus of community-based organizations doing the work.
