Canal Alliance Leads Efforts for Climate Adaptation in the Canal Neighborhood of San Rafael 

Canal Alliance has been a strong advocate for the Canal neighborhood for decades, working to address the unique climate change challenges faced by the community,. including advocacy for improved housing conditions, safety and infrastructure improvements, improved internet and Wi-Fi access, and, more recently, adaptation to rising sea levels brought on by climate change.  Climate adaptation is now one of the most pressing concerns for residents, as sea levels rise, and king tides and unpredictable weather events increase the frequency of flooding.   

In response to this reality, Canal Alliance has launched the Nuestro Canal, Nuestro Futuro initiative, which puts residents in the driver’s seat when it comes to informing investments, improvements, and solutions for the neighborhood. Within the NCNF initiative, and outside of it, Canal Alliance has organized a number of educational events to bring awareness and interactive educational opportunities to the community, including a High Tide Day and a Nuestro Canal, Nuestro Futuro Community Fair, which featured educational booths about sea level rise risks and possible solutions. These events aim to educate and support the community in finding solutions; we will host another NCNF Community Fair on May 3 in our work to continue advocating for solutions for the Canal around climate change.  

This work is made possible by several important funders; most recently Canal Alliance was the recipient of a $20,000 grant from Tipping Point Community to support our ongoing pursuit of strategies that will mitigate the impacts of climate change for Canal residents. This funding will support our ongoing focus on: 

• Supporting and educating our community while strengthening programming 

• Increasing operational and workforce resilience 

• Protecting physical assets to minimize the impact of extreme weather and sea level rise 

• Planning and participating in regional efforts to improve sustainability and energy efficiency 

• Engaging the community and creating and strengthening partnerships for collective action 

We are thankful to Tipping Point Community for their creation of a Climate Resilience Action Plan and for supporting the implementation of these strategies in the Canal neighborhood.