Highlighting FloridaWCA’s Collaborative Framework at FFMA Conference
Addressing Florida’s growing water and climate challenges requires strong partnerships that bridge disciplines, organizations, and areas of expertise. The Florida Water and Climate Alliance (FloridaWCA) fosters those connections through a collaborative framework that brings scientists, water managers, and decision-makers together to co-develop solutions. This approach was highlighted at the Florida Floodplain Managers Association (FFMA) Annual Conference, a statewide gathering of professionals focused on flood risk management and community resilience.
Francisco Pena Guerra, Resiliency Project Manager at the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), showcased the framework during his presentation, “Advancing Flood Resiliency in South Florida: Modernizing the Central & Southern Florida System Through Integrated Planning, Science, and Partnerships.” The presentation highlighted SFWMD’s efforts to modernize the more than 70-year-old Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project and strengthen the region’s ability to address evolving flood risks driven by urban growth, extreme rainfall, and sea level rise.
A key component of these efforts is the FloridaWCA collaborative framework, which supports sustained engagement between scientists, practitioners, and stakeholders through an adaptive, four-phase process. By fostering two-way knowledge exchange and shared problem solving, the framework helps ensure that science informs decision-making while stakeholder needs remain central to planning efforts.
The value of this approach is in SFWMD’s resiliency initiatives. Using the FloridaWCA framework, the District has collaborated with agencies including the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to advance flood risk studies, secure funding, and implement resilience projects. The framework has helped align priorities across organizations, identify opportunities for collaboration, and strengthen the scientific foundation of decisions that support long-term flood protection for South Florida communities.
