Climate Resilience Program
NYC religious communities are on the front lines of the climate emergency, often the primary contact for advice and services. In 2022, NYDIS launched a “Climate Resilience Program” for NYC clergy and religious lay leaders serving under-resourced, climate vulnerable communities. The program features climate resilience resources, networking events, trainings, and vulnerability analyses to help NYC clergy and lay leaders make effective plans, harden facilities, and answer tangible questions for climate vulnerable stakeholders. Questions?: Contact Dr. Lucy Cummings, Director, Faith Sector Resilience at lcummings@nydis.org
Program Features
As climate driven disasters are increasing in frequency and strength, local communities of faith have a vital leadership role to play in helping our most climate vulnerable neighbors withstand extreme weather disasters. Approximately ½ of NYC’s 5000 houses of worship serve neighbors in NYC’s environmental justice areas.
Recognizing the need for NYC faith sector support to build local climate resilience, NYDIS’s Climate Resilience Program features:
• Training for NYC Faith Leaders: NYDIS provides ongoing climate resilience training opportunities for NYC faith leaders. The program’s “Lunch & Learn” webinar series has covered “Greening Your House of Worship”, “Flood Insurance 101”, “Climate Health Impacts in NYC”, & “Emotional & Spiritual Care for Climate Anxiety.”
• Climate Resilience Community Workshops: Community-based training and outreach events, such as a community cooling workshop in Harlem (w/ We Act for Environmental Justice, 2023) or a training for Queen’s faith & community leaders on flood disaster preparedness (w/ Rebuild by Design, 2024), are important components of this program.
• Faith Sector Wide Climate Resilience Convenings: NYDIS hosts regular faith-sector wide climate justice and disaster preparedness convenings for NYC faith leaders across a range of topics, including “Vulnerable Communities, Equity, and Climate Resilience in NYC” (Brooklyn, 2022) and “Navigating Flood Disasters & Housing Justice” (Manhattan, 2023).
• COMING SOON!! NYC House of Worship “DIY” Climate Resilience Audits: NYDIS is developing a climate resilience audit toolkit for NYC houses of worship seeking to strengthen and green their properties to better withstand extreme weather emergencies. CHECK BACK HERE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION!
Program Highlights
NYDIS Climate Adaptation Networks
To ensure that the program keeps updated on the latest thinking around equitable climate resilience, NYDIS is active in multiple, multi-sectoral, interdisciplinary climate adaptation networks serving NYC:
New York State Extreme Heat Coalition: Extreme heat is the deadliest impact of climate change, and communities of color are the most affected. In New York City, for example, 50 percent of the heat-related deaths are among Black/African American people, even though they make up only 25 percent of the city’s population.
WE ACT for Environmental Justice joined forces with South Bronx Unite, Earthjustice, Groundwork Hudson Valley, New York Disaster Interfaith Services, NRDC, and HeartShare Human Services to form the Extreme Heat Coalition, with the goal of catalyzing legislative action that protects heat-vulnerable urban communities throughout the state.
Rain Proof NYC: NYDIS is a member of the “Rainproof NYC” task force, a collaborative initiative that brings together government agencies, non-profits, and an array of stakeholders to further develop innovative policies and programs aimed at addressing the challenges New York City faces as climate change causes increased heavy rain events.
Rise to Resilience is a campaign and coalition spearheaded by the Waterfront Alliance. NYDIS is one of more than 100 organizations representing residents, leaders in business, labor community and justice, volunteer organizations, scientists, environmental advocates, and design professionals collectively calling on our federal, state, and local governments to make building climate resilience an urgent priority.
Climigration Network: NYDIS participates in The Climigration Network, which brings together people with lived and learned expertise to advance transformative, community-led approaches to climate displacement and relocation in the US and its territories.
New York State Adaptation Practitioners Network: NYDIS is a member of the NYS Adaptation Practitioner’s Network, which brings together individuals and organizations from Buffalo to Long Island, as well as select State government policy-makers who have oversight of climate resilience-related programs. The outputs of these efforts take the form of policy development, advocacy, and capacity building.
NYC Climate Resilience Resources
• Center for Earth Ethics
• Extreme Heat: Beat the Heat
• HOWalert: NYDIS’s emergency notification system for NYC faith leaders.
• New York Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (NYVOAD)
• Notify NYC: NYC’s emergency notification system for NYC residents.
• NYC Air Quality: Fire & Smoke
• NYC Climate Adaptation Plans
• NYC Climate Resiliency – Infrastructure
• NYC Environmental Justice Alliance
• NYC Flood Hazzard Mapper
• NYC Flood Prevention
• NYC Hurricane Evacuation Zone Finder
• NYC Mayor’s Office for Climate & Environmental Justice
• NYC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NYCVOAD)
• NYC Winter Weather Hazards
• Understand your risk: NYC Department of Health Environmental & Health Data Portal
• We ACT for Environmental Justice