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Wetlands are a vital part of our ecosystem. They provide critical flood protection, helping safeguard against damage from hurricanes. But they are in danger and need our help.

It may seem like science fiction, but satellites are helping to fight climate change today. Here are five satellites helping the world with climate action. 

North Carolina's Flood Resiliency Blueprint is a big step forward, resulting in a massive statewide effort dedicated to building resilient communities equipped to reduce and manage flood risk and vulnerabilities.  The post Advancing North Carolina’s Flood Resiliency Blueprint to combat growing storm risks first appeared on Growing Returns.

We now know it’s official – 2023 was the warmest year ever recorded. Citizens across the globe felt the impacts long before it was confirmed. There were unprecedented wildfires in Canada that turned the New York sky orange. Phoenix saw a record-breaking 31 consecutive days with temperatures topping 110 degrees. Along with these very immediate …

The most marginalized are bearing the brunt of climate change-fueled extreme weather. A new index shows where help is needed most.

The Water in the Desert conference, hosted by Sul Ross State University, featured discussion of regional water data gaps, relevant water policy developments at the Texas Legislature, Chihuahuan Desert hydrology, groundwater management needs, stewardship practices, and promising water-enhancing projects in the region.

Understanding the impacts of extreme weather on Kansas farms can inform solutions that support farmers in adapting to climate change.

During the summer of 2023, Kansas endured a historic heat wave with temperatures soaring above 110°F in some areas. As climate change continues to intensify, the frequency and severity of extreme heat are projected to increase. Are Kansas farmers at risk of losing money in the face of these extreme growing conditions? A new study …

Climate change is expected to bring more severe weather, like droughts and extreme heat, to Kansas in the coming decades, with significant negative impacts on farm productivity and profitability. EDF's new research shows the financial risk to Kansas farms posed by extreme heat, and how management decisions and government programs partially mitigate the negative impacts.

Statement by Kate Boicourt, Director, Climate Resilient Coasts & Watersheds, New York-New Jersey, Environmental Defense Fund

Statement by Emily Steinhilber, Director, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds Virginia, Environmental Defense Fund

RISDoC participants are building a more resilient future in Cuba. Check out a few of their key priorities in this blog post. The post Sharing innovative solutions to build climate resilience in Cuban coastal communities first appeared on Growing Returns.

As discussions at COP28 wrestle with climate impacts on global food and water security, we hear from a Hopi farmer on his thriving practice of dry farming and his hopes for shared learning in Dubai. ______ The arid climate of the Hopi reservation in northeastern Arizona receives a mere 8.5 inches of annual rainfall. For …

Water has finally reached the highest levels of global climate negotiations. The path to a sustainable freshwater future, however, lies with ground-level users. At COP 28, EDF is elevating their voices, their needs and the approaches they find most useful. _______ While greenhouse gases drive climate change, many of its impacts are inherently liquid. Whether …

Extreme weather, driven by climate change, was already hitting these farmers and fishers hard. Then El Niño happened. For the world's food producers, the need for resilience suddenly got 

The U.S. government recently released the Fifth National Climate Assessment, a comprehensive report that shows the harmful impacts of extreme weather and other climate hazards are increasing for people across the United States. The Fifth National Climate Assessment confirms messages in previous reports but brings the details into sharper focus for U.S. regions. Climate change is increasingly …

Today, a broad group of environmental, civic, and environmental justice organizations celebrate New York State’s action requiring the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to better protect communities and the region from damaging and frequent flooding harms. In response to demands from the public as well as state and federal elected officials, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) last week sent a letter to overhaul the $52.6 billion storm surge protection plan proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). The State’s letter triggers a required process in federal law for the Corps to holistically study and provide solutions to address frequent tidal and river flooding, heavy rainfall, groundwater emergence, erosion, sea level rise, and storm surge as a part of the Corps’ New York- New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries Study. The state’s letter joins concerns raised by a group of 14 bipartisan Members of Congress and 38 New York State legislators.

Vulnerable communities facing increased risk from flooding, hurricanes, wildfires, and other extreme weather could soon receive a big lifeline thanks to the introduction of the National Coordination on Adaptation and Resilience for Security (NCARS) Act. If passed, this bipartisan legislation would create a unified national strategy for disaster planning. This proactive approach would consolidate government …

Statement From EDF SVP for Political Affairs Elizabeth Gore

Increasingly intense and more frequent severe weather events are impacting our marshlands, wetlands, and sounds, which in turn directly - and adversely - affects our coastal communities and our hunting, fishing and outdoor recreational history and traditions. The post North Carolina’s coastal wetlands and marshlands are a critical lifeforce for hunters and anglers first appeared on Growing Returns.

New York City, along with the rest of the mid-Atlantic, is seeing more extreme rainfall events that overwhelm local infrastructure and lead to localized, but often severe, flooding. These flash floods can impose myriad costs on residents from lost income when businesses are interrupted to higher commuting costs when transit is flooded to the need …

Earlier this year, city officials and community members celebrated the completion of a $112 million watershed resilience project. It shows that transformational climate action is possible when community members have a seat at the decision-making table.  The post Transformational climate adaptation puts communities at the center. This project shows us how. first appeared on Growing Returns.

(This post was co-authored by EDF Senior Climate Scientist Ilissa Ocko) Hurricanes are complicated, and their characteristics depend on a number of factors, which makes it difficult to tease out certain trends and predict the future. But what is scientifically clear is that human-caused climate change is a key reason that hurricanes are more destructive …

One of the largest rivers in the world struggles to reach the ocean. Spread across a huge slice of a continent, its basin supports millions. Yet the weight of its work to irrigate and power booming farms and cities in an increasingly arid zone is straining the river to a breaking point. For many working …

Environmental Defense Fund andCornell University partnered this past year to better understand the programs that support proactive retrofitting or relocating to accommodate flood risk for a range of housing types in New York City. We are sharing our preliminary takeaways about opportunities to close the resilient housing gap.  The post Opportunities to support equitable and just housing adaptation in the floodplain first appeared on Growing Returns.