Program Overview
Resilient Rhody, Rhode Island’s first comprehensive climate resilience action strategy was released by Governor Raimondo in July 2018. The strategy identifies priority actions the state can take to build statewide resilience. Common throughout Resilient Rhody is the need to work collaboratively with and in support of municipalities statewide.
The Municipal Resilience Program (MRP) provides direct support to cities and towns to complete a municipal-driven workshop process that brings together climate change information and local knowledge to identify top hazards, current challenges, and community strengths. This process identifies priority projects and strategies to improve the municipality’s resilience to all natural and climate-related hazards.
Upon successful completion of the MRP workshop, municipalities are designated as “Resilient Rhody Municipalities” which enables municipalities to apply for dedicated MRP Action Grants to implement identified projects.
Program Outcomes
- Understand connections between ongoing community issues, climate change and natural hazards, and local planning and actions in the municipality;
- Understand how climate change will exacerbate or lead to new community issues, hazards, and other challenges the municipality faces;
- Identify infrastructural, societal, and environmental vulnerabilities and evaluate strengths that help make the community more resilient to climate change and natural hazards;
- Explore nature-based solutions to build resiliency in the municipality;
- Develop and prioritize actions and clearly delineate next steps for the municipality, local organizations, businesses, private citizens, neighborhoods, and community groups; and
- Implement identified actions and apply for available MRP Action Grants.
How It Works
Workshop Facilitators
MRP facilitators are trained to provide technical assistance to communities in completing a resiliency assessment and plan. Towns and cities will be assigned a lead facilitator, workshop facilitators, and workshop scribes upon acceptance into the program.
MRP workshops are delivered and funded by the Bank and the Bank's selected workshop consultant - municipal burden is minimal.
Action Grants
Participating municipalities in the MRP program are eligible to apply for MRP Action Grants annually. Eligible projects are required to be identified through the MRP workshop process, improve climate resilience, and be a capital investment resulting in construction. MRP Action Grants are not available for research-related activities such as studies and strategic plans.
Grant eligibility must fall under Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank’s broad portfolio of programs and can include but not limited to, dam repair and removal, road elevation, hardening or elevation of pump stations, berms and levies, culvert repair, green stormwater infrastructure, solar + battery storage back-up power, energy efficiency, watershed restoration, urban tree planting, and coastal erosion control.
Municipalities will be required to match grants with a 25% local project cost share.
Participating Municipalities
Description of 2019-2021 Municipal Resilience Program Action Grants
2019 Cohort:
Westerly, South Kingstown, Portsmouth, Barrington/Warren
2020 Cohort:
Bristol, Woonsocket, Little Compton, Warwick, Pawtucket/Central Falls, Newport/Middletown
2021 Cohort:
Cumberland, East Providence, Jamestown, New Shoreham, North Kingstown, Providence, Tiverton
2022 Cohort:
Burrillville, Charlestown, Glocester, Lincoln, Narragansett, Richmond, Smithfield
2023 Cohort:
Coventry, East Greenwich, Hopkinton, North Providence, West Greenwich, West Warwick
Summary of Findings Reports
apply to participate
Want to see your municipality in the RI Municipal Resilience Program?
Application for program participation is now rolling! To apply, review the Request for Proposals and Application documents below. Submit your completed application with required attachments to Kimberly Korioth at:
Kimberly Korioth, Stormwater and Resilience Analyst
Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank
235 Promenade St. Suite 119
Providence, RI 02908
Phone: (401) 453-4430 x 200
Email: kkorioth@riib.org
Submissions are reviewed quarterly. Selection decision is estimated to be announced within eight weeks of application submission.
Application Documents:
Municipal Resilience Program Community Participation Requirements
Municipal Resilience Program Participation Application
October 2022 Info Session Materials:
For more information about the MRP, please contact:
Kimberly Korioth
Stormwater and Resilience Analyst
Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank
kkorioth@riib.org