Columbia Climate School and Barnard College recently had the opportunity to co-host a Climate Knowledge Exchange (CKE) workshop, invited by the New York City’s Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice. Held in June 2024, this workshop focused on community engagement for flood planning in New York City, providing a space for agency staff, community members, academics and nonprofit leaders to share insights about engagement strategies in resilience planning and reflect on effective strategies to empower communities.
The topics discussed in this workshop are crucial as the calls to address climate change challenges in an inclusive and equitable manner have grown louder. Recent regulatory progress, such as the passage of the 2022 Water Resources Development Act, and enhanced funding for community-based climate initiatives, underscore the urgency and commitment to comprehensive climate resilience. With more policies and advocacy pushing for equitable community engagement in resilience planning, interdisciplinary action to fill knowledge gaps across sectors is imperative for holistic benefits for all stakeholders.
With the multi-way exchanges of knowledge between diverse stakeholders in the June 2024 CKE, attendees discussed the importance of and potential plans for increasing early community engagement, creating community engagement with multiple benefits, increasing the next generation’s role in fighting for coastal resilience and facilitating interagency collaboration. Read more details about the conversation here.
