Resilient Fairfax is a plan and program to help Fairfax County adapt and become more resilient to changing conditions and climate change-related hazards such as extreme heat, severe storms, and flooding. Resilient Fairfax focuses on handling the effects of climate change, whereas the other climate plan, CECAP, focuses on addressing the cause of climate change (emissions). For more information on the difference between the two plans, please see this factsheet.
The Resilient Fairfax Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan (or “Resilient Fairfax plan”) describes how we will enhance the county's resilience. In addition to the plan itself, there are a few detailed technical reports and resources that fed into the plan. Below, you will find links to the Resilient Fairfax Plan, the technical reports, and additional resources.
The Resilient Fairfax plan was adopted by the Board of Supervisors in November 2022. The Resilient Fairfax plan includes background information on the plan and the process, summaries of each of the technical reports, and strategies and implementation roadmaps to enhance our resilience. To see the full plan, please click the button below.
Published on February 10, 2022, the Resilient Fairfax Climate Projections Report helps address the question "what will our climate look like in the future?" and also, "what climate hazards are we already facing?"
The report examines six climate-related hazards: extreme heat, heavy precipitation and inland flooding, severe storm and wind events, coastal flooding, drought, and extreme cold. The Climate Projections Report is complemented by a study completed by the NASA DEVELOP National Program on the urban heat island effect within Fairfax County.
An Audit of Existing Policies, Plans, and Programs helps address the question "How is the county government currently doing in terms of resilience?" The Audit finds that Fairfax County is active and engaged across all sectors relevant to climate resilience. Fairfax County has numerous areas of strength and important fundamental policies and programs upon which to build.
To address the question "Where are we vulnerable?" the Resilient Fairfax team produced a comprehensive Vulnerability and Risk Assessment. This document carefully considers all of the various climate hazards and how susceptible our community is to them.
The Resilient Fairfax Interactive Map tool is intended to help community members visualize locations in the county that may be more vulnerable to climate change-related hazards. The map includes both hazard data (for hazards where mapping is feasible), and assets that could be vulnerable to climate hazards. While this tool is not a part of the formal Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan, it complements the plan and can help to enhance your understanding of the plan's findings and recommendations.
The Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC) partnered with the NASA DEVELOP program to analyze the county’s Urban Heat Islands. To view this report, please click below.
The Resilient Fairfax planning process was led by the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC) and was supported by over 100 advisors in three advisory groups. In addition to the formal advisory groups, the Resilient Fairfax team regularly engaged additional community groups, neighborhoods, related workgroups, and other stakeholders. In total, over 200 engagement meetings were held during the planning process.
The team looks forward to continued collaboration during the implementation of the plan.
The Resilient Fairfax Planning Team is composed of 20 county departments and agencies. The Planning Team meets regularly to guide the Resilient Fairfax process and to provide feedback on deliverables. A full list of participating departments and agencies can be found via the link below.
The Resilient Fairfax Community Advisory Group, or CAG, included residents from each of the county’s nine magisterial districts, representatives for boards, authorities, and commissions, and individuals from the environmental, religious, nonprofit, civil rights, residential, and business communities. The CAG reviewed and provided input on key deliverables throughout the planning process. The Resilient Fairfax team looks forward to continued collaboration with CAG members during plan implementation.
The Resilient Fairfax Infrastructure Advisory Group, or IAG, consists of representatives from relevant county agencies and regional authorities, state agencies, federal agencies, utilities, telecommunication companies, the development community, and entities providing other critical services to Fairfax County residents.
Throughout the Resilient Fairfax planning process, members of the Fairfax County community contributed by attending public meetings, responding to a public survey, and sharing thoughts and ideas with the project team throughout the process. In addition to formal public meetings, the Resilient Fairfax team provided numerous presentations to neighborhood groups and community organizations as requested.
Additionally, from May 16 through June 15, 2022, the community offered hundreds of comments on the draft plan during the formal public comment period. The Resilient Fairfax team looks forward to continued partnership with the public during plan implementation.
