. Adapting the VCAPS process to drought planning in the Intermountain West

Abstract
During summer and fall 2018, Western Water Assessment (WWA) worked with five communities in Colorado and Utah to conduct workshops that provided information about climate variability, drought, flooding, and climate change and facilitated a dialogue with community leaders about possible strategies for community resilience. WWA adapted the VCAPS process (Vulnerability, Consequences, and Adaptation Planning Scenarios) to drought and water availability issues in the Intermountain West. VCAPS was originally developed by the Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments and the Social and Environmental Research Institute to help coastal communities adapt to sea level rise and increased storm intensity. In this process, the community leaders themselves work together to identify local weather and climate hazards, priorities, and where possible actions might be taken to improve resilience. Extreme drought was present in the Four Corners region in 2018 and consequently, several communities were especially interested in exploring how to build resilience to different levels of drought. The communities explored consequences on a wide variety of resources and activities of importance to them, from water supply to recreation, tourism, and public health. After the workshops, WWA provided participant communities with a final report that summarized the scientific information provided and the community dialogue and actions. Several communities have conducted follow up activities, including public outreach and continued exploration of potential actions. WWA will be surveying the communities in several months to understand how they perceive and value the VCAPS process over time.