Community Preparedness
Protecting Vulnerable Populations
Climate change has the potential to impact everyone in Watertown. Climate vulnerability describes the degree that certain factors of natural, man-made, and social systems may be at risk of harm from exposure to impacts from climate change. Decades of research on climate change has shown that certain social demographics such as health conditions, income, employment and other factors can lead to worsened outcomes. This is why it's important to ensure that resources to increase resilience to climate change are accessible to all.
Source: American Community Survey 2019
Community Preparedness
Reducing Heat Vulnerability
Watertown is affected by a number of climate hazards, but extreme heat poses the great risk to human health. In fact, extreme heat takes more lives than any other weather-related hazard in the U.S. Two census tracts in Watertown are considered to have moderate heat vulnerability. By 2030, Watertown aims to have 0 census tracts with moderate or higher heat vulnerability.
Source: MAPCCommunity Health and Connectivity
Live Well Watertown
In 2013, Watertown launched Live Well Watertown31, a collaborative initiative between Watertown’s Community Development and Planning Department and Health Department, as well as a group of residents. The initiative aims to provide increased access to information, resources, and programs in order to promote healthy living and identify opportunities to build wellness.
What You Can Do
Public Health and Preparedness Resources
Take advantage of Watertown's many resources to help residents and businesses prepare for extreme weather events and improve health and well-being.
