California Adaptation Planning Guide (APG)
The California Adaptation Planning Guide (APG) is designed to support local government, regional organizations, and climate collaborative groups to integrate best practices and current science into their adaptation planning efforts. The APG provides helpful resources to local governments as they comply with state requirements for local adaptation planning, and provides recommendations and advice on community-level climate change adaptation planning.
For questions, contact: APG@CalOES.ca.gov
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE 2020 PLAN
Since its original release in 2012, the APG has provide local, Tribal, and regional governments in California with practical guidance, tools, and strategies to support climate adaptation planning, including coordinating across jurisdictions, understanding climate impacts, conducting vulnerability assessments, engaging communities, improving public safety, and identifying actions to reduce climate-related risks.
2026 Adaptation Planning Guide Update
Cal OES is pleased to announce that the California Adaptation Planning Guide is being updated. The goal is to make this guidance a more robust public resource for local and Tribal governments across the state.
As part of our commitment to Senate Bill 246 (SB 246), and in response to the 2024 Climate Adaptation Strategy update, Cal OES, in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) and the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), is revising the guidebook to better support communities across the State.
Public Draft
We invite you to provide comments during the partner review period this summer, July 13 – August 27, 2026. The public comment draft of the 2026 APG will be available on this page.
Comments received on the 2026 APG Update Public Draft will help Cal OES and State partners consider revisions in preparation of the Final 2026 APG Update.
Public Workshops
To meet the public participation requirements of SB 246 and reflect input from communities across the state, Cal OES will host three regional public workshops from July through August 2026 during the public comment period.
Workshops will be held in Northern, Central, and Southern California to ensure broad geographic coverage and reflect key climate risks, including wildfire, extreme heat, drought, flooding, and sea level rise.
Feedback collected through the workshops and public comment process will be shared with agency partners in Fall 2026 and incorporated into the Final 2026 APG, scheduled for release in November 2026.
Dates and locations will be posted on this webpage soon.
Help shape the 2026 California Adaptation Planning Guide
Your perspective is essential. Please take a few minutes to complete our short survey and share what would make the APG most valuable for your organization and resiliency pursuits.
To get involved, email APG@CalOES.ca.gov.
Click HERE for the informational flyer.
Resources
Original 2012 California Adaptation Planning Guide
Released in 2012 by Cal OES in collaboration with state agencies, universities, and local experts, the original APG marked California’s first local framework for climate adaptation planning. It established a structured, step-by-step process for assessing climate vulnerability and developing local adaptation strategies in response to unavoidable climate impacts.
Equity and community outreach were incorporated throughout, reflecting an early emphasis on inclusive and participatory climate adaptation planning in California. The 4 parts are listed below:
California Climate Adaptation Strategy
The California Climate Adaptation Strategy, formerly known as the Safeguarding California plan is California’s overarching framework for building community, economic, and environmental resilience to climate impacts, such as fire, floods, heat, drought, and sea level rise. It reflects key pillars of sector or threat-specific efforts, showing how they fit together and drive us toward California’s six climate resilience priorities.
These resilience priorities are California’s climate adaptation “north stars” – they guide the state’s collective efforts, connect the dots across sector-specific work, and reflect the outcomes we seek to achieve. The Strategy was called for in Assembly Bill 1482 (Gordon, 2015), which also requires it to be updated every three years. Under Senate Bill 246, Cal OES is required to update the APG each time a new Climate Adaptation Strategy is released. CNRA’s most recent release is the 2024 California Climate Adaptation Strategy.
California Climate Change Assessment
California’s Climate Change Assessments contribute to the scientific foundation for understanding climate-related vulnerability throughout California. They provide extensive, research-based information on climate impacts and vulnerabilities statewide. Its last version was published in 2024 and will next be published in 2026.
California State Hazard Mitigation Plan (SHMP)
The SHMP outlines California’s hazard risks, efforts to reduce future disaster losses, and statewide mitigation strategies. Maintaining a FEMA-approved plan ensures California remains eligible for federal mitigation and disaster recovery funding programs. Its last version was published in 2023 and will next will be release in 2028.
Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program (ICARP)
ICARP houses the following and more:
- Adaptation Clearinghouse: Serves as California’s centralized hub for adaptation resources
- Cal-Adapt: Offers tools and datasets to help assess local climate change impacts and supports data-driven decision-making
- Vulnerable Communities Platform: Local governments and CBOs can use the VCP to identify frontline communities most vulnerable to climate change impacts, to inform climate adaptation planning and outreach
Annika Braucher, Plan Lead
Email: Annika.Braucher@CalOES.ca.gov, APG@CalOES.ca.gov
State Hazard Mitigation Planning Unit, Hazard Mitigation Section, Recovery Directorate