That鈥檚 among the key takeaways from a draft of the state鈥檚 first-ever climate change vulnerability assessment that published this month.
The Oregon Coast faces sea-level rise, algal blooms and shellfish biotoxins. The northern Willamette Valley faces heat waves, higher landslide risks and increased water demands as the population grows. Northeastern Oregon faces longer fire seasons, scorched crops and increasing numbers of destructive pests.
As part of a 2021 legislative directive, the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development partnered with climate researchers to illustrate these changes in a , which was presented at public workshops and online surveys in 2022 and 2023.
鈥淲e wanted to make them more real to people鈥檚 lives,鈥� said Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute. 鈥淪o, to not only think about how is climate changing, but what are the cascading effects on people鈥檚 lives.鈥�
Researchers used the workshops and surveys to gain a better understanding of how climate change is affecting Oregonians鈥� health and well-being in eight different regions of the state. The team published their findings in a that remains open to public input through the end of the year.
Researchers focused much of their attention on rural areas, where government resources for addressing climate change 鈥� like improving water treatment plants and roads, or creating wildfire response plans 鈥� are more scarce.
Christine Shirley, climate change resilience coordinator for the land conservation department, said she expected to get pushback from people who didn鈥檛 want to discuss climate change.
鈥淲e did not,鈥� Shirley said. 鈥淧eople are feeling the effects, and they want to talk about them, and they want to talk about what they need in their local communities to respond to those changes.鈥�
Another takeaway: Oregonians love being outdoors, but smoke from wildfires and oppressive heat are making it harder for them to hike, camp, fish or host outdoor gatherings.
鈥淓very place we went to, people mentioned how important it was to have those things to build community鈥� Shirley said. 鈥淏ecause of being sequestered inside 鈥� because of COVID-19, or wildfire smoke, or heat 鈥� they were seeing fractures in the community because they weren鈥檛 interacting with their neighbors.鈥�
The assessment is intended to be a resource for state and local governments as they develop programs and plans for mitigating the effects of climate change. It will also help climate researchers determine where to focus their attention.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really helpful to know 鈥� in this comprehensive way in different parts of the state 鈥� what really matters to people,鈥� Fleishman said.
This draft report will also guide the state鈥檚 update of its natural hazards . That document outlines how the state should mitigate the affects of climate change and where it should focus investing public dollars. It鈥檚 closely tied to the state鈥檚 natural hazards , which needs to be updated every five years in order to access some federal disaster funds. The state鈥檚 current mitigation plan expires in September 2025.
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