Living Shorelines
Preserving the natural elements of the shore while also providing protection from erosion.
Critical Infrastructure
Connecting firm science with the decision-making needs of state and local leaders.
Inland Flooding
Projecting changing precipitation patterns and future inland flooding in riverine communities.
Coastal Flooding & Waves
Mapping coastal flooding from waves, storm surge and high tide.
Policy & Planning
Community climate adaptation policy and planning through research and analysis.
Sea Level Rise
Providing future sea level rise scenarios for Connecticut's coastline.
Featured Projects & Products
CIRCA’s 10th Anniversary 2014-2024
The Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) marked its 10-year anniversary on Thursday, October 10th, with a special event at UConn Avery Point. The event, held from 10 am to 12:30 pm, highlighted CIRCA’s mission to help Connecticut’s vulnerable communities become more resilient to the growing impacts of climate change. More
CIRCA: Serving Connecticut’s Coastal Communities and Beyond
UConn Today July 23, 2024
UConn Today Article
Mac Murray & Thomas Rettig
CIRCA: Serving Connecticut’s Coastal Communities and Beyond
As seas and temperatures rise, [CIRCA] uses research and community engagement to protect communities across the state.
From the Long Island Sound to Hartford and beyond, the Connecticut Institute for Resilience & Climate Adaptation uses research and community engagement to protect communities across the state from the effects of climate change.
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Super Storm Sandy in Connecticut:
Progress & Challenges After Ten Years
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Ten years ago, the reality of stronger storms, climate change, and sea level rise arrived on Connecticut’s shore with Super Storm Sandy. In the intervening decade, local and state agencies, academic institutions, and organizations around the state mobilized more resources and capacity to address the issue of climate change. CIRCA hosted an event at UConn Avery Point's Branford House on October 28, 2022 to mark the Anniversary of this memorable storm and highlight Connecticut’s progress and challenges to address the increasing threats of climate change.
CIRCA's 2022 Grant Awards
Municipal Resilience Grant Program
CIRCA is pleased to announce five 2022 Municipal Resilience Grant Program (MRGP) awards as part of funding in either Track 1 (implementing stormwater authorities) or Track 2 (building a project pipeline). Read about awards to: Fairfield, Housatonic Valley Association, Old Saybrook, Southeastern Connecticut COG, and Stonington.
Research Seed Grants
CIRCA is pleased to announce two new research seed grants to UConn faculty studying wind & wave heights and the benefits of aquatic vegetation for climate mitigation and adaptation in Long Island Sound. Congrats to Drs. Ravishanker and Manning! These awards are intended to support the development of competitive grant proposals while advancing CIRCA’s mission.
Both MRGP and research grant projects will be complete at the end of spring 2023.
10 Steps to Municipal Resilience
Learn about Resilient Connecticut
CIRCA, in coordination with state agencies, regional councils of governments (COGs) and municipalities, has initiated Resilient Connecticut, as part of Phase II of the HUD National Disaster Resilience Competition. Resilient Connecticut focuses on regional resilience and adaptation planning through engagement and vulnerability assessments that inform municipal to regional scale initiatives and pilot projects in the Superstorm Sandy impacted regions of New Haven and Fairfield Counties.
Sea Level Rise Projections for Connecticut
Based on the scenarios CIRCA recommends that Connecticut plan for the upper end of the range of values projected of sea level rise or up to 20 inches (50cm) of sea level rise higher than the national tidal datum in Long Island Sound by 2050 and that it is likely that sea level will continue to rise after that date. The Institute also recommended that the scenarios be updated at least every 10 years, or more frequently, to incorporate the best available science and new observations.
News & Announcements
From Our Blog
- 2023 Inflation Reduction Act Climate-Ready Workforce for Coastal States and Territories Competition RFIPosted on December 21, 2023
- CIRCA Hiring UConn Undergraduate Student InternPosted on May 24, 2023
- Municipal Energy Resilience Webinar SeriesPosted on May 1, 2023
- CIRCA is Hosting Two Public MeetingsPosted on February 28, 2023
- CIRCA Hiring for 3 Climate Research JobsPosted on February 14, 2023
Resilience Roundup and CIRCA Announcements
Sign Up for the Resilience Roundup e-newsletter and CIRCA Announcements
The Resilience Roundup is an e-newsletter including local, state, and national news clips on resilience and adaptation as well as resources , events, and funding announcements. The CIRCA Announcements list will send you notices of the latest CIRCA research, events, tools, grants, and engagement opportunities.
To stay in touch on a broad range of floodplain management issues subscribe to, The Torrent, an e-newsletter published by our partners at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Protection and Land Reuse, Land and Water Resources Division.
Municipal Resilience Planning Assistance
This project combined science, policy, and planning at the state and local levels to address the resilience of vulnerable communities along Connecticut’s coast and inland waterways to the growing impacts of climate change. The purpose of the project was to develop tools for municipalities to assess vulnerable infrastructure to inundation by river flow, sea level rise, and storm surge in the next 25-50 years. This work was made possible through a Municipal Resilience Planning Assistance grant from the State of Connecticut Department of Housing CDBG-Disaster Recovery Program and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development
CIRCA Grant Products
Municipal Resilience Grant Program
Learn about new funding available and previously funded municipal projects designed to move our state from planning to implementation.
Learn more about the 9 matching funds grants awarded to Connecticut organizations, municipalities and researchers to leverage external funding programs to advance resilience in the state.
Learn more about all of CIRCA's Research projects and products.