VOAD Climate Equity Roundtable

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• The growing frequency and impact of climate-induced disasters pose a grave and unprecedented threat to under-resourced and at-risk populations.
• Climate migration, the displacement of populations due to climate-induced factors, is a growing phenomenon that requires coordinated efforts to provide support and resources to affected communities, both internally in the United States and Territories, as well as individuals from across the globe coming to the US and Territories.
• Purposefully using the language of “climate,” rather than “natural disasters,” helps highlight our responsibilities to adapt mitigation and recovery strategies that do not further exacerbate climate degradation.
• VOAD members and partners have a special responsibility to lead on revamping and revitalizing the existing disaster human service and recovery systems in order to meet the urgent climate disaster needs of our most at-risk communities.
• Many VOAD partners who are spearheading important climate-adaptive initiatives to address these gaps in preparation, response and recovery are often working in isolation and would benefit from VOAD peer support and shared learning.

The Climate Equity Roundtable is a discussion platform for VOAD members and partners.  The Roundtable aims to:

• Share climate and disaster equity resources, lessons learned & best practices.
• Strengthen VOAD climate action practitioner networks.
• Explore the impacts of climate migration and ways to provide support and resources to displaced individuals and communities.
• Develop shared advocacy agendas to dismantle the barriers to equitable climate disaster human services – with special attention to presenting recommendations to FEMA and other relevant agencies to enhance support for climate displacement issues (ex. climate refugee asylum status change, and recognition of internally displaced people in the US and territories.)

• The Roundtable will convene via ZOOM calls for an hour on a selected Friday each month to discuss issues around equitable access to climate disaster support.
• Attend when you can. Open to all.
• The Steering Committee will work to make sure meeting content is on-topic and that members demonstrate mutual respect.
• To wrap up its first year, the Roundtable will host an informal meeting at the National VOAD 2025 Conference, May 19-22, 2025, in Louisville, KY to discuss a forward agenda and whether this stakeholder collaborative should stay informal or seek formal NVOAD recognition.