URBAN WATERS FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP: Partnership Approaches for Equitable Climate Resilience Planning
The Urban Waters Federal Partnership supports 21 locations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico where communities are experiencing the effects of climate change and working towards sustainable solutions for their respective watersheds. By prioritizing equity, consistency in long-term engagement, coordination among communities, technical expertise and relationships with federal partners, the Urban Waters Federal Partnership is equipped to address the variety of needs and goals at each partner location.
This paper identifies critical lessons learned from years of Urban Waters Federal Partnership work cultivating a template of consistent equitable federal engagement with local partners and many examples of multi-jurisdictional groups working together to build solutions. Four key takeaways define the unique and intangible value that the Urban Waters Federal Partnership approach brings to equitable climate resilience planning:
- The Convening power of federal agencies attracts participation and funding;
- Consistency in coordination helps maintain priority focus over time;
- Engagement of key partners builds capacity; and
- Trust and relationship building efforts increase stakeholders’ willingness to invest time and energy into collaboration.
Partnership location examples from Grand Rapids, Kansas City, Baltimore and San Juan demonstrate the importance of partnerships across scales and sectors in addressing the impacts of climate change for all communities. This framework of engagement provides a sustainable approach for communities to co-define their own equitable solutions, strengthening their existing partnerships while growing their networks to include new and optimized connections.
UWFP: Partnership Approaches for Equitable Climate Resilience Planning (pdf)