Board Adopts County’s First-Ever Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan

This week, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resilient Fairfax, the county’s first-ever climate adaptation and resilience plan.

As we face increasingly “warmer, wetter and weirder” conditions on average, the new Resilient Fairfax plan will help the county boost the resilience of our population, infrastructure, public service systems and natural resources to climatic hazards.

About the Resilient Fairfax Plan

The Resilient Fairfax plan answers five major questions:

1. What are Fairfax County’s current and future climate conditions?
2. What are Fairfax County's top climate vulnerabilities and risks?
3. Do Fairfax County's current policies, plans and programs address climate resilience?
4. What strategies should Fairfax County use to enhance climate adaptation and resilience?
5. How can Fairfax County implement those strategies?

In total, there are 48 strategies in the Resilient Fairfax plan, including 18 prioritized strategies, all of which aim to reduce the risks associated with impacts such as flooding, extreme heat and severe storms. The plan includes detailed implementation roadmaps for each of the prioritized strategies, enabling county staff and other key stakeholders to efficiently transition into implementation.

“The Resilient Fairfax Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan is an extraordinary guide for our county and community as we look to reduce risks related to climate change,” said Jeffrey McKay, chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “This plan defines a way forward that will help protect our residents, their homes, public services, natural resources and the critical infrastructure that we all rely on.”

Tools for Success

In addition to outlining strategies and action plans, Resilient Fairfax materials include:

• Climate Projections Report 
• Audit of Existing Policies, Plans, and Programs 
• Vulnerability and Risk Assessment
• Interactive Climate Map Viewer

“Resilient Fairfax sets us on a path to a more livable, healthy, safe and sustainable community,” said Dan Storck, Mount Vernon District supervisor and chairman of the Board of Supervisors Environmental Committee. “Importantly, this plan takes equity into account at every turn, ensuring that the strategies outlined address our most vulnerable populations and those in greatest need of support.”