Social Equity in Climate Resilience

The RAND Climate Resilience Center is committed to justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (JDEIB) as fundamental principles guiding our climate resilience research, outreach, and education activities.

Aureliano Dominguez drinks water after finishing a landscaping job as a heat wave continues in Portland, Oregon, August 12, 2021.

Photo by Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Reuters

Social equity in climate resilience reflects fair processes and outcomes for all people—regardless of socio-demographic characteristics such as race, gender, age, national origin, or income level—in the development and implementation of climate resilience policies and practices. Our efforts to address social equity build on insights about environmental justice, specifically about where and how marginalized groups face increased risk from climate change. We also build on these insights to support the development of systems that enhance full participation in decision making about resilience building activities.

The center promotes JDEIB through several core values:

respecting differences
cultivating dialog, learning, and growth
demonstrating integrity
being transparent and accountable.

Opportunities to incorporate these core values in our activities include

identifying and addressing the needs of vulnerable and underserved groups
broadening participation of under-represented groups
building a diverse team with strong commitments to our core values.

The center is collaborating closely with the RAND Center to Advance Racial Equity Policy to expand solutions to climate injustice.

Featured Research and Commentaries

Social Vulnerability Shapes the Experiences of Climate Migrants Displaced by Hurricane Maria
For climate change migrants from Puerto Rico, underlying neglect, discrimination, and other social processes transformed Hurricane Maria from a hazard to a disaster with devastating economic, social, and physical and mental health effects. However, migrants were also able to draw on their faith, community and educational institutions, and new neighbors as sources of strength and coping.
Feb 21, 2023
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Mitigation Grant Program
Natural disasters have become more frequent and destructive, with the damage from disasters affecting some communities—most notably, low-income and disadvantaged communities—more than others. Hazard risk mitigation could reduce disruption and damage, and equity issues are important in helping communities' mitigation efforts.
Mar 23, 2022
Equity Metrics for Climate Adaptation in the Electricity Sector
In 2020, the California Public Utilities Commission adopted a ruling that requires utilities to assess communities' vulnerability to climate impacts and evaluate how climate adaptation efforts can promote equity. Researchers developed a set of context-specific equity metrics that Southern California Edison could build on and incorporate into its ongoing work toward climate adaptation.
Feb 17, 2022
Assessing Social Equity in Disaster Preparation, Response, and Recovery
In this webinar, senior social scientist Melissa Finucane reviews the complex nature of social equity—including contextual, procedural, and distributional equity dimensions—and how a robust, evidence-based approach is needed to measure progress toward equity in disaster contexts.
Nov 16, 2021
A Scoping Literature Review on Indicators and Metrics for Assessing Racial Equity in Disaster Preparation, Response, and Recovery
Disasters have the potential to exacerbate preexisting racial inequities. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency have made commitments to reduce social inequities, but frameworks, indicators, and metrics are needed for tracking progress toward equity goals.
Jul 15, 2021
Hurricane Ida Is Part of a Cycle of Disasters—Mitigating Their Impact Means Building Back Better
Building back better means focusing on recovery that not only restores damage from a disaster but also reduces future risk. To meet that goal today, we need to look at the ways our disaster preparedness and response systems actually create risk themselves, by reinforcing things like wealth inequality, systemic discrimination, or access to crucial services.
Sep 13, 2021
Environmental Racism: Mapping the Legacy of Historic Redlining on Urban Environments
Past housing policies have an enduring legacy on urban neighborhoods today and have contributed to which communities enjoy more trees, less traffic, and better air quality, and which face hazards such as pollution, toxic waste sites, and flooding risk.
Mar 31, 2022
Climate Change: An Issue of Equity
RAND senior policy researcher Benjamin Preston describes areas where climate change and equity intersect.
Aug 26, 2021