Regional Collaboration and Capacity Building

The centerpiece of this Adaptation Strategy is the Monterey Bay Climate Adaptation Action Network (MBCAAN), initiated with this grant. The overarching purpose of MBCAAN is to coordinate and plan for future adaptation and resilience actions in the Monterey Bay region. MBCAAN will be a forum for active planning and information sharing among jurisdictions and will ensure the coordinated, integrated implementation of the activities in this application. Key functions of MBCAAN will include ensuring broad and inclusive regional participation; developing Monterey Bay regionwide, equitable climate adaptation strategies; identifying adaptation needs, developing projects, and securing funds to implement those projects; identifying workforce needs and supporting workforce development; conducting regional monitoring of on-the-ground projects and performance evaluation of MBCAAN and the overall program. All collaborators in this application have committed to participating in MBCAAN.

Regional Collaboration

As we develop a framework for collaboration across the Monterey region, a key focus of MBCAAN is distinguished by its explicit focus on cultivating strong foundational relationships as a prerequisite for impactful, interdisciplinary collaboration among stakeholders. Acknowledging challenges related to trust, communication, and differing organizational timelines and priorities, MBCAAN is committed to investment in relationship-building that ensures groups like CBOs and tribal partners participate meaningfully from the outset. At the heart of this strategy is Co-Creating Capacity and Knowledge Exchange, replacing top-down hierarchies with a multi-directional flow of information amongst the community, Tribal groups, educational institutions, and practitioners. 

Capacity Building

Our capacity-building strategy empowers the network by providing essential financial and personnel support to our collaboratives, underscored by the launch of a dedicated revolving loan fund and an endowed fund for MBCAAN.

An especially innovative function of MBCAAN is the establishment and administration of the Monterey Bay Climate Adaptation Revolving Fund (MBCARF) to provide low-interest bridge funding and rapid response to urgent climate adaptation needs. In response to growing climate threats and the urgent need for resilient infrastructure and land conservation, the fund supports rapid deployment of capital to high-impact projects, particularly those benefiting disadvantaged communities. With an initial investment of $1,662,799, the fund will be administered by the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County (CFSCC), under the oversight of the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation (CMSF). 

This Adaptation Strategy includes capacity building for three existing climate collaboratives – Central Coast Climate Collaborative, Monterey Bay Climate Justice Collaborative, and Monterey Bay Regional Climate Project Working Group.