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). Drawing on its expertise in technical assistance, environmental planning, and outreach, the VTC-POET team will provide municipalities with technical support and lead public engagement to help inform each municipality’s CCRHVA.   

Climate change-related hazards—such as flooding, extreme heat, and drought—are increasingly frequent, severe, and unpredictable, affecting all aspects of community life, including public health, the built environment, economic development, and environmental assets. To make informed adaptation decisions, municipalities must ground their plans in residents’ lived experiences with these hazards.  

Since 2021, the NJ Municipal Land Use Law (N.J.S.A. 40:55D-28) has required municipalities to include a CCRHVA in the Land Use Plan Element of their Master Plans. Because this requirement is new for many municipalities, the project will also help contribute to the development of statewide CCRHVA guidance by creating examples and documenting the process, challenges, and emerging best practices.  

CCRHVAs are a critical first step in resilience planning. They help local governments identify and assess climate hazards, vulnerable infrastructure, key community assets, and at-risk populations—laying the groundwork for strategies that reduce risk and build long-term resilience. VTC-POET will work with the Town of Newton, Butler Borough, and the City of Elizabeth to develop CCRHVAs tailored to each community.