Climate change is expected to have significant impacts on the Pacific Northwest’s communities, economy, and natural systems. At the same time, some have suggested that the Northwest may become home for people seeking refuge from climate change impacts in other regions of the U.S..
The growing speculation about climate change-driven migration to the Northwest has led many in the public sector to ask if long-term planning decisions related to transportation, utilities, land use planning, and other public services need to incorporate the potential for climate change-driven migration, and if so, what those scenarios would look like. However, a scarcity of regionally-specific research on this question provides limited guidance on how to best answer these questions.
To help inform discussion on this issue, and to provide guidance to decision makers, the UW Climate Impacts Group and Portland State University’s Population Research Center and Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies are hosting a symposium exploring the question of climate change-driven migration to the Pacific Northwest and its implications for long-range planning. The public plenary portion of the symposium will be held on Friday, June 24, 2016, in Portland from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm.
More information on the symposium is available here. Due to limited space, registration is required by June 21, 2016.
