State-Led Coastal Resilience: Lessons from California

As uncertainty in federal leadership continues, states need to play a more central role in securing the future of coastal communities.

California’s comprehensive coastal resilience efforts show what’s possible when state policy is ambitious and investment is sustained. From mandatory sea level rise planning to pairing regulation with accessible, non-competitive funding, California’s approach to coastal resilience offers lessons that can inform other states’ approaches, particularly those facing similar climate vulnerabilities that must be more strategic with limited resources.

Drawing on insights from interviews with California state, county, and city officials, our latest memo, State-Led Coastal Resilience: Lessons from California, identifies three strategies states can adopt to advance local coastal resilience—even in the face of federal retreat.

1. Institutionalize and fund coastal resilience

2. Align state priorities with regional, local, and civic partners

3. Equip local governments with climate data and tools

READ THE MEMO

Although not without its own challenges, California's experience underscores that bold public policy and sustained investment can meaningfully advance resilience efforts and inspire a broader shift in how states across the country approach adaptation.