Washington State DOT Develops a Climate Impacts Vulnerability Assessment

Washington State’s transportation system faces several climate change related risks from increasing temperatures, extreme storms, and sea level rise that are expected to affect the operation of transportation assets throughout the state. In 2010, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) used a grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to assess future impacts of climate change and develop its 2011 Climate Impacts Vulnerability Assessment (CIVA). WSDOT’s CIVA was a first step towards meeting the State’s 2011-2013 strategic goal to identify its assets that are vulnerable to the effects of climate change and determine potential solutions. 

WSDOT took the following steps to create the CIVA:

• Drew on an existing FHWA model to develop its own tailored climate change and vulnerability assessment model (Figure 1) for planning, developing, and implementing a vulnerability assessment in Washington State. 
• Drew on scientific analysis from the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group (CIG) to serve as a foundation of data for the CIVA. 
• Utilized the data to conduct a GIS analysis to visualize the climate change threats of sea level rise, temperature changes, precipitation, wind, and fire facing WSDOT’s infrastructure,
• Convened 14 risk assessment workshops that engaged experts on state ferries, rail, and aviation across all regions in order to develop its risk assessment method for the climate vulnerability analysis.
• During the workshops, participants assessed the vulnerability of roadways and WSDOT-owned ferry, rail, and airport facilities, rating each one as high, medium, or low.

The value of the CIVA results to the State is evident in their widespread use by agencies and planners for decision-making and risk analysis. The CIVA results provide a strong basis for understanding potential vulnerabilities and strengths of WSDOT assets. For all projects that are subject to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), State guidance notes that project planners should use the CIVA as a starting point for project-level NEPA/SEPA discussions, and that planners should consider the information in the vulnerability assessment as they examine risks. 

Today, WSDOT incorporates the CIVA results in all program areas:

• Planning: Climate adaptation is a major emphasis area in the WSDOT strategic plan. 
• Design & Environmental Review: Project teams evaluate potential risks using CIVA results during the environmental and design phase.
• Construction: WSDOT focuses on examining the potential for long-term impacts on materials to arise as a result of climate impacts, including saltwater corrosion, heat, or precipitation changes.
• Operations & Maintenance: WSDOT engages in multi-hazard risk reduction incorporating awareness of maintenance activities that may be affected by heat or extreme weather events.

The review from the series of expert workshops provided WSDOT with additional insights on climate-related risks. The experts’ analysis revealed that many of WSDOT’s assets are already resistant to climate change impacts. For example:

• Many of the improvements made for other reasons, such as seismic retrofits, fish passage improvements, culvert replacements, and drilled shaft bridges, resulted in WSDOT assets’ increased resistance to extreme weather events. These existing strategies serve as examples of actions that could be taken in the future to increase the resiliency of WSDOT infrastructure.
• WSDOT has already worked on adaptation solutions for threats that will be exacerbated by climate change such as unstable slopes, flooding, and coastal erosion.
• Most of the newer bridges in the state are designed and built to be resistant to climate change impacts.
• The State already monitors areas where some climate impacts are anticipated, such as critical bridges or Chronic Environmental Deficiencies (CEDs) sites (e.g., designated highway locations that are vulnerable to flooding, sedimentation, and washouts). 

Today, there is significant interest in WSDOT’s climate vulnerability efforts from outside parties, and WSDOT has partnered with several state agencies to develop recommendations for local planners to conduct their own vulnerability assessments for roads and public works facilities. 

How Did They Do It?	Applicable Tools
Developed a model for assessing the climate vulnerability of WSDOT assets. WSDOT drew on a 2009 version of FHWA’s Climate Change and Extreme Weather Vulnerability Assessment Framework to develop a model for its state transportation vulnerability assessment.	Tools used: FHWA – Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Framework (2017 Edition) was used to analyze anticipated impacts of climate change on Washington State.
Gathered climate change impact and state transportation asset data. WSDOT used a 2009 Washington Climate Change Impacts Assessment from the University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group to understand the State’s expected climate hazards. WSDOT surveyed its asset inventory to determine the criticality of each asset.
Conducted a vulnerability assessment. WSDOT used GIS technology to clarify the impact of climate threats on its infrastructure and inform vulnerability assessment workshops. WSDOT convened workshops of staff subject matter experts in materials, hydrology, geology, and those with local knowledge and experience to analyze and discuss the system’s climate change vulnerabilities.	Tools used: WSDOT – Climate Impacts Vulnerability Assessment assessed anticipated impacts of climate change on Washington State.   Additional tools that may be useful:  Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) helps people assess their local exposure to climate-related hazards. CMRA provides current and future climate hazard information to assist with prioritizing, identifying, and implementing climate-informed infrastructure investments.
Planned next steps: Washington State guidance notes that planners for any projects subject to NEPA and SEPA should rely on the CIVA as the first step in analyzing climate risks for their projects. Learn more in the WSDOT – Guidance for NEPA and SEPA Project-Level Climate Change Evaluations. WSDOT uses the CIVA to consider climate preparedness and risk in all program areas, including planning, design and environmental review, construction, and maintenance and operations. Learn more in the WSDOT – Guidance for Considering Impacts of Climate Change in WSDOT Plans

Similar Cases and More Information

To learn about how a municipality assessed and is planning to adapt to anticipated climate change hazards, see the City of Boston Plans for Adaptation example. Each City department used vulnerability assessments to integrate climate change vulnerabilities into future community plans. 

To learn about how another state used a threat assessment to analyze potential and projected effects of sea level rise and coastal erosion, see the Maryland Analyzes Coastal Wetlands Susceptibility to Climate Change example. Maryland’s Departments of Natural Resources (MDNR) and Environment (MDE) used the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) to assess sea level rise projections and implement coastal wetlands restoration and conservation programs to protect the State’s remaining coastal wetlands from climate change.

• The City of Boston Plans for Adaptation 
• Maryland Analyzes Coastal Wetlands Susceptibility to Climate Change

References:

• WSDOT - Climate Impacts Vulnerability Assessment
• WSDOT Climate Adaptation webpage
• WSDOT – Guidance for NEPA and SEPA Project-Level Climate Change Evaluations 
• WSDOT – Guidance for Considering Impacts of Climate Change in WSDOT Plans
• Washington Geospatial Open Data Portal (roadway vulnerability ratings)
• Climate Impacts Group – Washington Climate Change Impacts Assessment
• FHWA – Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Framework 2017 Edition