RESILIENCY PLANNING

CLIMATE CHANGE THREATENS PUBLIC HEALTH, THE ECONOMY, SAFETY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. THE CITY OF JERSEY CITY RECOGNIZES THAT EXTENSIVE EFFORTS MUST BE MADE IN ORDER TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON BOTH LOCAL AND GLOBAL COMMUNITIES.

Jersey City is already experiencing climate change and its impacts. As a dense urban area and coastal community, Jersey City is particularly vulnerable to the many effects of a changing climate. Jersey City has already experienced these effects locally in the form of extreme weather events such as Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, which caused power outages, severe flooding, and property damage resulting in millions of dollars in losses to the city’s local economy. The impacts of these climate risks are projected to increase as more greenhouse gases (GHGs) are emitted.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has compiled excellent data on the current and projected impact of climate change within the State. Please see their website at https://www.nj.gov/dep/climatechange. Read about the New Jersey’s changing climate and find the 2020 New Jersey Scientific Report on Climate Change on the DEP’s website HERE.

Another excellent resource for understanding climate change impacts in coastal municipalities like Jersey City is the recent report from Rutgers: New Jersey’s Rising Seas and Changing Coastal Storms: Report of the 2019 Science and Technical Advisory Panel. Read it HERE.