The District is committed to ensuring our flood protection system can continue to operate today and well into the future. Our approach to Resiliency planning dovetails with our mission to safeguard and restore South Florida's water resources and ecosystems, protect our communities from flooding, and meet the region's water needs.
Did you know that ecosystem restoration supports the District's efforts to address the effects of climate change and sea level rise? Completed Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) projects increase our ability to better manage water for the benefit of people and the environment. These projects also increase the District's ability to better manage anticipated extreme weather events and increase the ecosystem’s future resilience in the face of warmer temperatures and other climate change impacts.
Other resiliency efforts focus on:
- Understanding how current and future climate conditions and weather events impact water management in South Florida.
- Ensuring that our regional flood control system provides flood protection now, while considering future sea level rise and more intense rainfall events.
- Developing a set of water and climate resilience metrics to track changes and trends within the District.
- Collaborating with counties, local drainage districts, stakeholders and the public to develop and implement adaptation strategies.
The District also hired its first District Resiliency Officer in 2020. Dr. Carolina Maran Ph.D., P.E. hit the ground running and has been working with the public and stakeholders, as well as local, state and federal agencies to advance resilience strategies. Dr. Maran's focus on resiliency planning helps to ensure that the District will continue to meet the region's needs now and into the future.