What do changing weather patterns mean to Greater Kansas City?

Please join us on Nov. 12, 2015, from 1–4 p.m. at the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center for the first of four workshops focused on climate resilience. The first workshop features Dr. Christopher Anderson, a climatologist at Iowa State University who has conducted extensive research on climate change issues throughout the Midwest.

Dr. Anderson will share potential climate change scenarios – from extreme weather to broad trends – that we can expect in the Kansas City region

Following his presentation, a local panel will explore potential implications for our region. Small group discussions will then focus on:

• Key impacts of these changes on our natural environment, economy, infrastructure and public health.
• Resilience strategies already underway in the region.

About the series

In late 2014, the Kansas City region was named a Climate Action Champion by the White House and Department of Energy. Area partners are committed to developing a regional climate resilience strategy that will assess climate change trends for the Kansas City region, identify potential risks and vulnerabilities, and include alternative mitigation, adaptation and resilience options.

The Climate Resilience Workshop series will help decision makers and community partners more intentionally link cross-cutting strategies across multiple sectors, including air quality, ecosystem management, energy, hazard mitigation and emergency planning, land use, public health, transportation and water.

Ultimately, this regional strategy will identify high-level priorities across multiple time horizons and provide area communities with information they can use to enhance resiliency at the local and regional levels.

Instructors:

Christopher J. Anderson is Assistant Director of the Iowa State University Climate Science Program, a research program that provides authoritative, scientific information for short-term and long-term climate-informed decision-making. Mr. Anderson's research examines linkages between climate variability, climate change, and water management. He has coauthored recent reports for the Western Utility Climate Alliance, US EPA, and US Federal Highway Administration containing recommendations on approaches that would yield improvements in infrastructure planning for water utilities in major metropolitan areas (Options for Improving Climate Modeling to Assist Water Utility Planning for Climate Change), flood mitigation in the Midwest United States (Iowa Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Report), and transportation engineering (Iowa's Bridge and Highway Climate Change and Extreme Weather Vulnerability Assessment Pilot).

For more information: http://climate.engineering.iastate.edu/ResearchTeam/AndersonChristopher.html