Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA)
About the CRVA
In addition to completing a greenhouse gas inventory, an assessment of climate risks and vulnerabilities is completed. The purpose of the Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) was to develop an understanding of the current and future climate risks facing the region to inform the inclusion of adaptation goals and actions in the Regional Climate Action Plan. The CRVA will help provide context for future community discussions as the goals and actions in the plan are refined and implemented.
This CRVA represents a high-level regional-scale assessment of risks and vulnerabilities. It is recommended in the plan that local governments conduct more detailed assessments for their own
jurisdictions.
Hazards
Understanding the natural hazards that pose the greatest risks to the Kansas City region is critical to discussions about vulnerability and how plans support the region’s ability to adapt and stay resilient in the face of these hazards. In 2019, MARC began updating its Hazard Mitigation Plan for the Missouri counties in our region. The Hazard Mitigation Plan (2020) identifies those hazards that pose the greatest risk to our region: flooding, extreme heat (>105ºF), drought, severe thunderstorms, severe winter weather, and tornadoes. The plan also includes information on the experience of the community with these hazards, local government capabilities to address or reduce the risks, and goals and actions local jurisdictions are willing to take over the next 5 years.
Two additional hazard mitigation plans are available for the Kansas counties in the planning area: Douglas County Hazard Mitigation Plan and the Kansas Homeland Security Region L Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Social Vulnerability Assessment
This assessment helps answer questions about where our most vulnerable communities exist in the region and the magnitude of social vulnerability, in general. The findings help inform planning, equity focused engagement and relationship building, and where climate initiatives must be prioritized and targeted. In this assessment, several indicators are used to help pinpoint geographies of overlapping vulnerabilities related to climate change. The vulnerability maps are based on indicators specific to the priority hazards. More information about these chosen indicators can be found in the CRVA in the appendix. These maps explore social vulnerability, and vulnerability related to flooding, heat and urban heat island, and tornadoes.
Explore regional vulnerabilities
An interactive map, including the vulnerability and neighborhoods layers, was created to support local government climate resilience initiatives and can be found here.