Malibu Resilient Landscape

Project Description

Located in the mountainous, coastal landscape of Southern California, an area already prone to fire, flash floods, mud slides, and earthquakes, the community of Malibu is increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The Malibu Foundation was established to help the community rebuild and improve climate resilience after the devastating 2018 Woolsey Fire, which destroyed more than 450 Malibu homes. Many of the destroyed houses were modest and owned by residents with limited financial resources to rebuild.

A key member of a team led by sustainability consultants, Terrapin Bright Green, Biohabitats helped produce Malibu Rebuilder Guide, a publication that provided guidance on affordable, sustainable, and resilient building practices for residents who lost homes in the Woolsey Fire. The publication was the culmination of a community engagement and resiliency planning process. Biohabitats' role in this process was to help develop and lead a community resilient rebuilding workshop. As the ecological experts, Biohabitats presented fire-resilient landscape and water strategies, and led discussions with residents to enhance their understanding of fire-dependent ecosystems, and how landscape vegetation treatments can enhance fire-resilience while bringing additional benefits.

The guidance developed for Malibu is applicable to other fire-prone regions, both within and beyond California.