Wine growers in Sonoma, California, and coffee farmers in Caldas, Colombia, speak different languages, grow different crops, and lead different lives, but they face similar challenges when it comes to the risks posed by the effects of climate change.
The launch of the Partnership for Resilience and Preparedness, or PREP, represents one way United States government agencies are bringing in partners to harness the data revolution for climate resilience. Through a U.S. Agency for International Development program, Sonoma and Caldas already shared best practices in watershed management with one another. Now, with the new platform and partnership, more communities can join in on this effort to make better decisions based on data then share those ideas across borders.
“Communities like ours, through tools like PREP, have a virtual path to collaboration for a more sustainable future,” said Ann DuBay, community and government affairs manager of the Sonoma County Water Agency, at an event Thursday in New York City hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the U.S. Department of State and the World Resources Institute.
About the author
Catherine Cheneycatherinecheney
Catherine Cheney is the Senior Editor for Special Coverage at Devex. She leads the editorial vision of Devex’s news events and editorial coverage of key moments on the global development calendar. Catherine joined Devex as a reporter, focusing on technology and innovation in making progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to joining Devex, Catherine earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yale University, and worked as a web producer for POLITICO, a reporter for World Politics Review, and special projects editor at NationSwell. She has reported domestically and internationally for outlets including The Atlantic and the Washington Post. Catherine also works for the Solutions Journalism Network, a non profit organization that supports journalists and news organizations to report on responses to problems.
