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Throughout the past few years in NYC, episodes of heavy rainfall have become more and more common. What's more, the precipitation has been affecting New Yorkers' day-to-day activities, sometimes even putting people in danger.
In an effort to tackle the issue and find ways to solve it, Mayor Eric Adams' Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) has joined the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the New York City Housing Recovery Operations, Rebuild by Design and One Architecture & Urbanism to launch "Rainproof NYC," a new public-private initiative dedicated to the development of policies and programs aimed at, according to an official press release, "addressing the challenges New York City faces as climate change causes increased heavy rain."
The program will consist of three working groups focusing on "addressing gaps in infrastructure and risk management to protect from and prepare New Yorkers for more intense precipitation," identifying an equitable buyout program that the city could invest in and figuring out how the responsibility to manage the extreme weather could be properly shared among both the private and the public sector.
“Increased rainfall is increasingly impacting New Yorkers’ way of life, and addressing the climate crisis must be a collaborative process that involves not only experts and elected officials, but also the community members who are directly impacted,” said Chief Climate Officer and DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala in an official statement. “Creating community-specific solutions will allow us to more quickly fight the impacts of climate change. Working groups like this that involve community members who are directly involved in the work are a useful complement to the technical work.”
The groups are filled with participants that were selected last month after a public open call application, all of them somehow experienced in weather-related matters.
By the sounds of it, all parties involved are focusing on how to mitigate the effects of climate change over trying to find ways to weaken the root causes of the issue.
That being said, the Adams administration clearly holds the topic dear, having already released "Rainfall Ready NYC" back in 2022, a set of guidelines helping New Yorkers prepare before, after and during a storm. The project also included updated flood zone maps that citizens can consult to understand whether they live in an area at risk of flooding or not.
Clearly, climate change has been catalyzing a slew of policies on both the local and federal level. Here's to hoping they'll actually make a difference.