Climate change is one of the greatest threats to public health and the safety of future generations. State and local governments are increasingly leading the way and taking urgent climate action into their own hands. From sea-level rise and loss of critical coastline to increased extreme heat days and severe weather events, Florida shoulders significant risks from climate change. Miami is one of the most at-risk major cities in the world to the damages from coastal flooding and storms and has long recognized the existential threat climate change poses to its future.
For over ten years, Miami-Dade County has partnered with Broward, Monroe, and Palm Beach counties to collaborate on climate-related issues. This Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact releases a Regional Climate Action plan every five years, but most recently, in 2020, Miami released its own climate strategy: Miami Forever Climate Ready. The strategy will reduce the increasing risks of flood, heat, and storm impacts over the next 40 years.
The City of Miami formed its strategy through comprehensive collaboration, engaging experts, residents, business owners, nonprofits, universities, and other key stakeholders through workshops, surveys, and panels. Climate adaptation and resiliency are among the top priorities, with the investments aimed at protecting residents from future climate conditions, prioritizing critical and highly vulnerable areas and people, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
© Children’s Environmental Health Network, 2025
