The Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank has selected Warwick to participate in its Municipal Resilience Program.

 As part of the Municipal Resilience Program, Warwick will be provided with technical support from The Nature Conservancy and the Infrastructure Bank to assess the City’s vulnerabilities to climate change. Upon completion of the program, Warwick and each of the other communities participating will have the opportunity to apply for Infrastructure Bank grant funding to address specific community resilience projects. In 2019, five communities participated in the program and were recently granted $1,000,000 for their projects.

“I believe that Warwick must be forward-thinking in its approach to sustainability and climate change. I have made it a priority of my administration to build partnerships that support efforts to protect and sustain critical infrastructure, reduce municipal energy consumption and implement sustainable measures city-wide. These efforts will ultimately improve our business climate and quality of life for residents,” said Mayor Joseph J. Solomon said in a statement. “I will continue to enact policies and programs that support collaboration to improve resiliency for Warwick’s 82,000 residents, while also improving services and making smart and sustainable fiscal choices. Through these efforts, Warwick will continue to evolve as a prepared and resilient, coastal community.”

 Climate resiliency is of critical importance to the City of Warwick: the City has over 39 miles of coastline, as well as $200 million of commercial and residential property located in special flood hazard areas. It is also host city to T.F. Green International Airport and home to a robust marine economy. These factors make Warwick exposed to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise. 

Warwick has a number of ongoing and existing resiliency initiatives already underway, including a wide variety of partnerships with local, state and federal entities such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Rhode Island Coastal Resource Management Council, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Save the Bay, the University of Rhode Island and many others.

The Infrastructure Bank announced the news as part of its recent annual Legislative Day at the Rhode Island State House. The other participants selected the Municipal Resilience Program are Bristol, Providence, Woonsocket and Little Compton, as well as regional partnerships from Pawtucket/Central Falls and Newport/Middletown.