Corpus Christi Recognized As Leader In Climate Planning

The Gulf of Mexico Climate Outreach Community of Practice has awarded the 2014 Gulf of Mexico Spirit of Community Award for the local community category to Corpus Christi, Texas, to recognize its leadership in planning for climate change.

“The creation of Corpus Christi’s Integrated Community Sustainability Plan was a data-driven process conducted by an interdisciplinary team with input from city decision makers and community stakeholders at every step,” said Heather Wade, Coastal Planning Specialist with the Texas Sea Grant College Program at Texas A&M University. “It generated implementation recommendations on topics from climate to urban agriculture to bicycle trails in the form of action items that range from no-cost community-based activities to major capital improvements to the city.”

Corpus Christi participates in other resilience activities through Texas Sea Grant, the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Texas Nature Conservancy. The city also has a presence at public events and aims to educate the public on issues related to climate, such as coastal hazards, drought and water conservation.

The Gulf of Mexico Climate Outreach Community of Practice was formed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Gulf of Mexico Regional Collaboration Team and the four Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant Programs. It is a group of more than 400 education, outreach and extension professionals, as well as community leaders and planners, who work together to learn how coastal communities can adapt and become more resilient to sea-level rise, precipitation changes and other climate-related issues.

Recipients of the Gulf of Mexico Spirit of Community Award must be nominated by their colleagues, and voting is open to all members of the Climate Outreach Community of Practice in the entire Gulf of Mexico.

Corpus Christi received the award for its climate-change outreach and planning efforts during the group’s annual meeting earlier this month in Orange Beach, Alabama.

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