During community engagement workshops for the development of the city and county of honolulu's climate adaptation strategy, community-based organizations (cbos) and residents expressed a need for…

During community engagement workshops for the development of the city and county of honolulu's climate adaptation strategy, community-based organizations (cbos) and residents expressed a need for support from ccsr to understand their role in climate adaptation. In response, the proposed climate champions program pairs cbos with climate champions to implement adaptation projects. To support the cbos and climate champions, ccsr will provide guidance on projects, aid in recruitment, and host professional development workshops in partnership with the university of hawai#699; i. Climate champions' projects will enable disadvantaged communities served by cbos to thrive under changing conditions, while enhancing the skills of local community members to lead and implement adaptation solutions. Projects will also advance actions from the climate adaptation strategy, raise awareness of climate impacts as a direct result of increased knowledge within the community, and strengthen trust between the city and cbos to set the stage for future collaboration. This assistance agreement provides full federal funding in the amount of $1,000,000.activities:the climate champions program will uplift the work of six cbos located in disadvantaged communities across o'AHU by directly financing, training, and providing technical support to a 'climate champion,' paired with each organization to work on a climate adaptation and resilience project tied to each organization's mission. These projects will add climate adaptation values to community work and advance the implementation of the city's climate adaptation strategy, climate ready o#699; AHU (CRO). For example, m#257; lama loko EA foundation, one of the city's CBO partners, is looking to host a climate champion to create environmental justice resources about climate impacts to loko i#699; a (fishponds) and wetland restoration to promote protection of this local and traditional food source. Other partners will focus on a range of other adaptation efforts that address multiple different climate hazards, such as increasing temperatures and flash flooding. Project activities include: building a framework for collaboration as a community of practice for climate adaptation; develop professional skills and increase inter-organizational communication and collaboration among climate champions and cbos; implement climate adaptation projects across o'AHU; continue collaborative process of designing and improving the climate champions program; demonstrate viability of the climate champions program to serve as a model for government-community collaboration. Subrecipient:the communities served by five out of six of partner cbos fall within rural communities and additional areas considered vulnerable by the o'AHU social vulnerability index. Together, the cbos provide workforce development and healthy foods to disadvantaged youth (MA#699; o organic farms/key), steward natural and cultural resources (m#257; lama loko EA foundation/malama learning center), and actively seek to minimize impacts of drought, flooding, and heat (trees for honolulu's future/hawai'i wildfire management organization). Each of these groups provides essential community services and represents communities impacted by the top climate hazards: increasing temperatures, sea level rise, flash flooding, hurricanes, and drought. The cbos will act as core partners in recruiting and hosting a climate champion to further prepare and engage their communities on climate impacts and adaptation solutions, while enhancing their own internal adaptability to climate hazards. In addition to hosting, each CBO will take on a role of CO-designing the climate champion projects with ccsr and identifying, as well as participating in, professional development opportunities most meaningful to participants. M#257; lama loko EA foundation, one of the city's CBO partners, is looking to host a clim