About

Vision

The CSCI envisions a future where all communities in the United States have equal access to the technical resources, expertise, and information that they need to understand their vulnerability to the effects of a rapidly changing climate, and increase their ability to adapt and build resilience.

In keeping with this vision, the CSCI engages in the following activities, prioritizing the needs of frontline communities while seeking to improve the capacity and capabilities of the nation as a whole. Importantly, the initiative leverages the local leadership, partnerships, and knowledge that already exist, and augments that to help communities assess their risks, and then develop and implement effective plans and projects. 

Activities

• CSCI provides funding through a competitive grantmaking program
• CSCI matches interested communities with leading experts through a Registry of Climate Adaptation and Resilience Professionals
• CSCI builds additional capacity by offering training and workforce development
• CSCI enables best practices by providing an options database and help desk – Coming soon!
• CSCI provides a rigorously evaluated, replicable framework for practitioner engagement, community support, and resource allocation
• CSCI accelerates the pace and effectiveness of climate resilience efforts

Partners

CSCI is managed by a consortium of partners, including the Climate Resilience Fund, EcoAdapt, Fernleaf, Geos Institute, ICF, and the Environment, Equity and Justice Center at NRDC, working closely with the NOAA Climate Program Office. The initiative is made possible by funding under the Inflation Reduction Act as part of the federal government’s approach to the climate crisis.