Assessing and managing risks from climate variability and change in the urban areas of the Northeast U.S. is the focus of a new Web site for the Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast (CCRUN). The consortium includes researchers from the Earth Institute (including CIESIN), the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, City College/CUNY, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Drexel University. Using a stakeholder-driven approach to research, CCRUN researchers are examining the impacts of climate change, population growth, and urban and economic policies on communities in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and other urban areas in the region.
CCRUN’s initial projects focus on three main topics: water, coasts, and health, with special emphasis on community vulnerability and environmental justice. The CCRUN Web site, developed and hosted by CIESIN, provides access to project materials and information resources provided by consortium members. The site also features a gallery of maps illustrating the location of populations and infrastructure potentially vulnerable to climate change.
CCRUN is operating under a five-year award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) initiative.