Ecosystems provide benefits and services that are essential to human survival including food, water, clean air, and building materials. Healthy ecosystems can help protect communities from the impacts of extreme events like flooding, heat, drought, and wildfire; as well as provide recreational and employment opportunities.
It is critical that communities incorporate ecosystem services into their land use planning in order to increase local and regional resilience. Green infrastructure, farm and forest preservation, and natural resource protection are strategies communities can use to include ecosystem services in their planning.
Scroll down to browse all Ecosystem Services resources, or filter by the subcategories listed below.
2017 National Climate Assessment Report
Climate Science Special Report (Volume 1) was released on November 3, 2017. The National Climate Assessment summarizes the impacts of climate change on the United States, now and in the future.
2022 IPCC
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s official website provides reports, information on its working groups, activities, news, and updated calendar.
A Guide to Assessing Green Infrastructure Costs and Benefits for Flood Reduction
This guide provides a process that communities can use to assess the costs and benefits of green infrastructure to reduce flooding.
Building Community Resilience With Nature-Based Solutions
This guide helps communities identify and engage the staff and resources that can be used to implement nature-based solutions to build resilience to natural hazards, which may be exacerbated by climate change.
Climate Change Adaptation for Agriculture: Mitigating Short- and Long-Term Impacts of Climate on Crop Production
The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Virginia State University produced this publication in 2014 outlining climate-related challenges facing agriculture and some options for mitigating and adapting to them. Included in the publication are adaptation strategies and conservation techniques touching on soil water-holding capacity, tillage, crop rotations, drainage, irrigation, nitrogen use, and buffers.
Climate Ready DC: The District of Columbia’s Plan to Adapt to a Changing Climate
Climate Ready DC is the District of Columbia’s strategy to make the District more resilient to future climate change while helping to ensure that our city continues to grow greener, healthier, and more livable.
Climate Security: The American Security Project
The ASP’s climate security page focuses on key risks/hazards, with particular interest in how they directly impact U.S. military readiness, operations, training, and resilience
Envision Rating System for Sustainable Infrastructure
Published in 2015, the Envision system is composed of tools, covering all aspects of a product’s lifecycle, that are meant to introduce sustainability into infrastructure projects.
EPA: Flood Resilience Checklist
Is your community prepared for a possible flood? Use EPA’s Flood Resilience checklist to improve your community’s flood resilience.
Hampton Roads Sea Level Rise Preparedness and Resilience Intergovernmental Pilot Project
After two years, the Hampton Roads Sea level Rise and Resilience Intergovernmental Planning Pilot Project (Intergovernmental Pilot Project or IPP), convened at Old Dominion University, has come to a successful close. The key deliverables include a whole of government mitigation and adaptation planning process and an integrated regional recommendation, both which can serve as a template for other regions.
2017 National Climate Assessment Report
Climate Science Special Report (Volume 1) was released on November 3, 2017. The National Climate Assessment summarizes the impacts of climate change on the United States, now and in the future.
2022 IPCC
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s official website provides reports, information on its working groups, activities, news, and updated calendar.
A Guide to Assessing Green Infrastructure Costs and Benefits for Flood Reduction
This guide provides a process that communities can use to assess the costs and benefits of green infrastructure to reduce flooding.
Building Community Resilience With Nature-Based Solutions
This guide helps communities identify and engage the staff and resources that can be used to implement nature-based solutions to build resilience to natural hazards, which may be exacerbated by climate change.
Climate Change Adaptation for Agriculture: Mitigating Short- and Long-Term Impacts of Climate on Crop Production
The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Virginia State University produced this publication in 2014 outlining climate-related challenges facing agriculture and some options for mitigating and adapting to them. Included in the publication are adaptation strategies and conservation techniques touching on soil water-holding capacity, tillage, crop rotations, drainage, irrigation, nitrogen use, and buffers.
Climate Ready DC: The District of Columbia’s Plan to Adapt to a Changing Climate
Climate Ready DC is the District of Columbia’s strategy to make the District more resilient to future climate change while helping to ensure that our city continues to grow greener, healthier, and more livable.
Climate Security: The American Security Project
The ASP’s climate security page focuses on key risks/hazards, with particular interest in how they directly impact U.S. military readiness, operations, training, and resilience
Envision Rating System for Sustainable Infrastructure
Published in 2015, the Envision system is composed of tools, covering all aspects of a product’s lifecycle, that are meant to introduce sustainability into infrastructure projects.
EPA: Flood Resilience Checklist
Is your community prepared for a possible flood? Use EPA’s Flood Resilience checklist to improve your community’s flood resilience.
Hampton Roads Sea Level Rise Preparedness and Resilience Intergovernmental Pilot Project
After two years, the Hampton Roads Sea level Rise and Resilience Intergovernmental Planning Pilot Project (Intergovernmental Pilot Project or IPP), convened at Old Dominion University, has come to a successful close. The key deliverables include a whole of government mitigation and adaptation planning process and an integrated regional recommendation, both which can serve as a template for other regions.