CHARLES RIVER CLIMATE COMPACT
Regional Collaboration for Climate Action.
Climate Impacts Don’t Follow Political Boundaries.
Regional collaboration is essential for preparing for climate change. In the absence of a strong state and federal response, many cities and towns are stepping up and taking proactive leadership roles in climate change adaptation, but individual towns cannot face this monumental challenge alone.
Founded in 2019, the Charles River Climate Compact (CRCC) is a voluntary partnership of twenty-eight watershed communities that takes a watershed approach to climate adaptation and mitigation to address precipitation-based flooding, sea level rise, extreme heat, and ecosystem health through regional collaboration and information sharing.
A Regional Collaboration.
The Charles River Climate Compact’s mission is to work collaboratively to increase climate resilience for people, and the natural ecosystems in the Charles River watershed by taking a regional approach to implementing climate adaptation and mitigation solutions.
Do you see your city or town? Participating communities include Arlington, Bellingham, Belmont, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Dedham, Dover, Franklin, Holliston, Hopkinton, Lincoln, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Natick, Needham, Newton, Norfolk, Sherborn, Somerville, Walpole, Waltham, Watertown, Wellesley, Weston, Westwood, and Wrentham.
Building Resilience in the Watershed Initiative
In 2020, the CRCC launched the Charles River Flood Model, a watershed-scale visualization that predicts when and where flooding will occur with climate change and identifies and designs solutions to help our communities prepare.
Taking a watershed view allows us to identify the most cost-effective solutions and equitably address flooding concerns by considering upstream impacts on downstream communities.
Regional Tree Protection and Planting Plan
Trees are one of our greatest climate solutions––providing cooler neighborhoods, clean air, flood mitigation, cleaner water, and mental health benefits––yet our watershed is losing tree canopy at an alarming rate. Since 2000, Massachusetts has lost over 3.5% of its tree cover. Regional planning will help maximize the benefits of existing trees, help protect mature trees from invasive species, and identify new opportunities for tree planting to build a robust, healthy tree canopy.
Watch our latest public webinar recording on this initiative in ENGLISH & ESPAÑOL, or check out the slides here.
Climate Compact Strategic Plan:
The Climate Compact developed a five-year strategic plan for identifying high-priority actions to advance climate adaptation in our watershed. Thanks to generous support from Foundation for MetroWest, and facilitators Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)
Join the Charles River Climate Compact!
Are you a municipal leader looking to advance climate solutions in your city or town? All communities within the Charles River watershed are invited to join to discuss shared and regional challenges to climate adaptation, collaborate on solutions, investigate watershed-scale flooding issues, and gain technical expertise from CRWA and others.
Not sure if you're in the Charles River watershed? Find out here.
HOW TO JOIN The CRCC meets the first or second Wednesday of the month in January, March, May, July, September, and November. Meetings are generally 1-2 hours depending on the agenda. Email Climate Compact Director Julie Wood for more information.
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