Climate Adaptation Plan

Significant weather events have caused substantial physical and economic damages in Faribault. Without global action to address climate issues, Faribault and the world will face threats to their economic livelihood, public health, and supplies of food, clean water, and power.  Vulnerable populations, especially those with lower incomes and older residents, often bear the brunt of these extreme weather events. 

In April 2017, paleBLUEdot secured a grant from the State of Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for the development of Climate Vulnerability Assessment for the City of Faribault and 22 other communities throughout the State.  The goal of project was to serve as an assessment of Faribault’s forecasted climate change, impact exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity to changing climate conditions.  The Vulnerability Assessment, completed in May 2018, mapped climate vulnerable populations in Faribault and serves as a foundation for prioritizing climate adaptation needs and actions

In June 2018, paleBLUEdot and the City of Faribault jointly secured a grant from the MPCA to develop a Climate Adaptation Plan based on the 2018 vulnerability assessment.  This plan is the result of that effort.  This Climate Adaptation Plan outlines strategic goals and detailed actions to guide the City towards a more resilient, climate change ready condition.

The process
The plan was developed in collaboration with a 15 person planning team of community members, economic development  representatives, Rice County staff, and City of Faribault staff.  The planning team was organized into sub-teams aligned with each of the sectors included in this plan (see Plan Framework).  The plan was developed through a number of planning workhops from May through December 2020.

GreenStep Cities
Faribault is a participant in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program. This planning effort meets the Best Practice Action 29.2 requirements. Learn more about Albert Lea’s GreenStep Cities accomplishments here. 

Background Studies

Population Vulnerability Assessment

Process Documents

Stakeholder Workshop Session Overview

Faribault Selected Screening Criteria

Faribault Climate Adaptation Survey Summary

Infographics:

The Faribault Climate Adaptation Plan

The final deliverables provided for the Faribault Climate Adaptation Plan include the plan document and the Climate Adaptation Plan Policy Database including example municipal policies and ordinances relevant to the Climate Adaptation Plan.

The Plan

Click here to download a copy of the plan.

The Climate Action Plan Policy Database

You can find a database of example policies and ordinances to support a range of actions included in the CAP here.

MPCA Climate Adaptation Plan Toolkit
Rice County

Based on the Faribault Climate Action Planning process and plan, the following has been developed as a Climate Adaptation Plan Toolkit for use by other communities in Rice County or the surrounding region. This Toolkit is provided, in part, by the 2018 State of Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Environmental Assistance Grant.