BROWARD CO, FL

UNITED STATES

Broward County’s Resilience Journey

Home to nearly 2 million residents, Broward County is the 2nd largest county in the state of Florida and is ranked the 7th most diverse county in the United States. With 31 municipalities, Broward County celebrates rich cultural, environmental and economic resources and is a recognized hub for international commerce.

Broward County is also on the forefront of climate vulnerability, with an extensive shoreline, flat landscape, and low land elevations that increases the county’s exposure to flood risk. Record-breaking storm events are proving far more damaging, with flood conditions worsened by sea level rise, increase in storm surge, rainfall intensity, higher king tides, and groundwater table rise with economic losses and service disruptions affecting both inland and coastal communities. While flood risk makes regular headlines, extreme heat is increasingly recognized as an equal, if not more pressing, local climate threat.

Broward County is working to address these shocks and stresses by integrating sea level rise and future flood risk in land use planning and infrastructure design standards. The County is mapping areas of enhanced risk relative to social vulnerability and is developing a county-wide resilience plan focused on mitigating both flood and heat, with robust economic analysis to help build the case for a coordinated plan that prioritizes co-benefits and equitable outcomes.