Climate Change in the Watershed: Working Toward Resiliency

The NRWA is committed to working with communities, organizations, and individuals throughout our watershed to build a more resilient and sustainable landscape that is better able to adapt to a changing climate. The NRWA Board adopted the following policy to reflect this commitment:

NRWA Climate Change Policy: “The Nashua River Watershed Association recognizes the adverse impacts of climate change to the natural systems that sustain life on our planet.  It is the policy of the NRWA to promote and undertake local and regional actions to address the impacts of climate change on our watershed.  These actions include developing strategies to address changes in local hydrology and ecology, assisting communities to become more resilient, and helping people to live more sustainably and safely in the face of climate change.”

The primary climatic impacts experienced in our watershed are the increase in the total amount of rainfall and rising temperatures. Notably, the National Weather Service reports that the frequency and intensity of strong rainfall events are increasing more in New England than anywhere else in the United States.  Increased intense rainfalls are leading to flooding, polluted runoff to streams, and a lost opportunity for rain to recharge groundwater. As temperatures increase, we are experiencing a significant increase in the number of days over 90 degrees, with a heavy impact on our urban areas that experience even higher temperatures due to their higher volume of pavement and lower volume of greenspace. These changes in rainfall events and intensity, and warming temperatures, are having a major impact on our communities, our waterways, our native habitats, and our native plant and animal species. 

The NRWA seeks to address the impacts of climate change through mitigation strategies that will help reduce overall climate change, lessen the negative impacts of that change, and help our communities (human and wild) become more resilient to the changes that do occur.

Local Climate Impacts: Ecology

Extensive impacts to the ecology of our watershed are being caused by numerous climate-related changes. These impacts will significantly diminish the biodiversity and richness of the watershed unless actions are taken to increase resiliency and to better allow species to adapt.

Nature-based Solutions

Nature has evolved to buffer herself from the negative impact of storms and to adapt to changing conditions. Many of the impacts we are facing are exacerbated by the ways we have changed the natural landscape and reduced the effectiveness of nature’s tools. Many of the most effective strategies to address the impacts of climate change are based on those natural systems.