Communities across the U.S. are already feeling the impacts of Climate Change. Extreme heat, wildfires, and sea-level rise are making some areas more dangerous and expensive to inhabit and people may move to less-risky areas to avoid these impacts. These people, called climate migrants, may choose to call Cincinnati home.

Cincinnati has low natural disaster risk, an abundance of fresh water, and a relatively affordable cost-of-living, making it a potential destination for newcomers. The Climate Migration Outlook from the Cincinnati Regional Chamber of Commerce claims Greater Cincinnati's population could increase by half a million residents by 2050 in a high-growth future.

Regardless of how many climate migrants Cincinnati sees, the city needs to be prepared to ensure neighborhoods are stable and critical services continue. To prepare, OES has created the Climate Migration Readiness Plan.

The Climate Migration Readiness Plan outlines the key strategies Cincinnati can pursue to prepare for an uncertain future. These strategies, like accelerating housing development, increasing resident participation in government, and investing in resilient infrastructure, all improve quality of life for current residents and any newcomers. The strategies are supported by monitoring the impacts of climate migration in Cincinnati. To do so, the CMRP also dives into the data we'll watch to understand how climate migration manifests in Cincinnati.

To read the full plan, visit our Climate Migration webpage here: https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/oes/resilience-and-climate-adaptation/social-cohesion/climate-migration/