The San Francisco Bay Area Regional Report includes climate science, impacts, and adaptation information for Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, West Solano, and Sonoma counties.
The San Francisco Bay Area encompasses nine counties at the confluence of the Pacific Ocean and the Central Valley. The San Francisco Bay, a tidal estuary and critical ecological habitat, is the central feature of the region’s topography. The landscape is a mosaic of steep coastal mountains, redwood forests, rolling hills with oak woodlands and grasslands, salty and fresh wetlands, and expansive agricultural lands.
The region is a globally significant center of innovation and culture and one of the most ethnically diverse in the nation, with a robust economy and a significant presence of Hispanic/Latino, Asian, African American, and Pacific Islander communities. Currently home to approximately 7.8 million people, the region’s population is projected to grow to 9.3 million over the next 20 years.
The Bay Area faces overlapping climate risks that demand collaboration among public agencies, private organizations, and communities. Tribal Nations play a critical role in regional climate governance, and co-management approaches can help uplift Indigenous knowledge, protect cultural resources, and uphold tribal sovereignty. Coordinated regional efforts on issues like sea level rise help avoid fragmented or maladaptive responses. Beyond formal institutions, regional networks and youth-led movements are strengthening shared learning, advocacy, and community-driven climate action, shifting governance from agency-led planning toward broader civic participation and leadership.
Webinar Recording
San Francisco Bay Area Regional Report
Coordinating Lead Authors
Louise Bedsworth and Shruti Sarode, UC Berkeley