This article is part of our Strengthening Communities Through Climate Adaptation series. Each piece shares practical ideas and offers real-world strategies to help communities plan, fund and carry out climate adaptation projects that reflect their local priorities.
If climate adaptation still feels like an abstract goal, you’re not alone. For many communities, building resilience to climate change is work that’s already quietly underway without the title. Through drainage upgrades, land use changes, fire-smart planning, or even a new community engagement process, these types of incremental projects collectively leave your community better prepared to withstand climate risks. A challenge for many communities is recognizing that work as climate adaptation and understanding how to connect it to broader objectives, opportunities and support.
The truth is, you don’t need to have a fully formed strategy or a big capital project in the works to take your next step. What matters is being clear about your local risks, understanding what you want to protect, and knowing how to move from observation to action.
What readiness can look like
Climate adaptation is all about addressing climate risks—those we’re already experiencing and those still emerging. While identifying priorities often starts with a climate risk assessment, you don’t have to wait for one to take action. Revisiting a past event—like a flood or extreme heat episode—and asking what could be done differently next time creates opportunities to tap into local knowledge and start the process of adapting.
The Climate-Ready Communities Assessment Tool is a great place to start. It helps municipalities get a snapshot of where they stand, what systems they already have in place, and where they might benefit from support. It’s not a pass/fail tool, rather, it’s a way to start planning with intention.
Moving from awareness to action
Once you have a clearer view of your risks and context, you can begin making choices about what comes next. That might mean updating internal tools like asset management plans or service levels. You might explore local-scale actions like adding natural infrastructure to public spaces or strengthening heat response protocols, as well as larger response options like prohibiting housing development in high-risk floodplains.
You could also apply for funding to develop a formal adaptation plan through Climate-Ready Plans and Processes or test a project idea with Adaptation in Action Feasibility Study funding. Many municipalities also choose to collaborate with nearby communities, especially where risks or priorities are shared.
Explore what’s possible
- Browse project examples to see what climate adaptation looks like in practice
- Receive guidance on integrating equity and partnering with Indigenous communities in your planning
- Start a conversation about advancing climate adaptation in your community
- Find tools, research and case studies in our Adaptation Library
- Join our Community of Practice to connect with peers
No matter the starting point, GMF’s Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation initiative offers flexible support that can help municipalities build momentum. That includes funding for planning and feasibility, training opportunities through GMF partners and access to coaching and communities of practice for deeper learning.
Getting started
Adaptation doesn’t begin with perfect plans. It begins with the decision to pay attention, ask good questions, and take the next step. With the right tools and partnerships, even small actions can create the foundation for long-term resilience.
Want to take a first step? Learn how GMF’s Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation can support your community through funding, planning tools, and practical guidance that meets you where you are.