Principal Investigator: Miriam Salerno

With support from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Resilient NJ Municipal Assistance Program, the Environmental Analysis & Communications Group and VTC-POET will work with several NJ municipalities to develop locally specific Climate Change-Related Hazard Vulnerability Assessments (CCRHVAs). The Public Outreach and Engagement Team will provide municipalities with technical support and lead public engagement to help inform each municipality’s CCRHVA.

Under the NJ Municipal Land Use Law (N.J.S.A. 40:55D-28), CCRHVAs are a required component of municipal master plans. They are a critical first step in resilience planning and help local governments identify and assess climate hazards, vulnerable infrastructure, key community assets, and at-risk populations. Overall, CCRHVAs lay the groundwork for strategies that reduce risk and build long-term resilience.

Since CCRHVAs are a relatively new requirement for many municipalities, this project will also help contribute to the development of statewide CCRHVA guidance by creating examples and documenting the process, challenges, and emerging best practices.

VTC-POET will work with the Town of Newton, Butler Borough, and the City of Elizabeth to develop CCRHVAs tailored to each community.