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3. Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment <br />BACKGROUND <br />A vulnerability assessment is an analysis of how climate change is likely to affect a <br />community. The vulnerability assessment in this CAP looks at the anticipated hazards and <br />other public safety concerns that may be created or exacerbated by climate change <br />and how these conditions have the potential to harm people, buildings and infrastructure, <br />ecosystems, and other assets in San Leandro. Just as the GHG inventory and forecast <br />provide a foundation for identifying future GHG emission reductions, the vulnerability <br />assessment helps support future efforts to improve community resilience and adapt to <br />changing climate conditions. <br />VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT PROCESS <br />The vulnerability assessment primarily follows the recommended process in the California <br />Adaptation Planning Guide, published in 2020 by the California Governor's Office of <br />Emergency Services. This includes a four -step process: (1) characterizing the City's <br />exposure to current and projected climate hazards; (2) identifying potential sensitivities <br />and potential impacts to City populations and assets; (3) evaluating the current ability of <br />the populations and assets to cope with climate impacts, also referred to as its adaptive <br />capacity; and (4) identifying priority vulnerabilities based on systematic scoring. These steps <br />are shown in Figure 87 and described in greater detail in Appendix B. <br />Figure 87 California Adaptation Planning Guide Recommended Model <br />Step 2. Identify Step 3. Assess Step 4. Prioritize <br />Step 1. Identify Sensitivities & Adaptive Vulnerability <br />Exposure Potential Capacity Scoring <br />Impacts <br />The vulnerability assessment expands on a previous vulnerability assessment, the "San <br />Leandro Climate Hazard Assessment," prepared for San Leandro in 2017. The vulnerability <br />assessment incorporates the results of this 2017 analysis, expanding on it and revising its <br />conclusions where supported by new data or methods. <br />CLIMATE CHANGE HAZARDS IN SAN LEANDRO <br />San Leandro, like most communities in California, is expected to experience multiple direct <br />impacts as a result of climate change, including potential flooding, sea -level rise (SLR), <br />wildfires, drought, extreme heat, and negative effects on public health and biodiversify. <br />Research suggests that California will experience hotter and drier conditions, reductions in <br />winter snow and increases in winter rains, SLR, significant changes to the water cycle, and <br />San Leandro 2021 Climate Action Plan Page 43 <br />