Climate Risks and Resilience
Communities and decisionmakers across the globe are grappling with how to measure climate risks as they seek to respond to the impacts of climate change, from coastal flooding due to sea-level rise to heat waves and wildfires. Experts at Resources for the Future (RFF) are quantifying the economic and social impacts of climate change and evaluating strategies to enhance resilience, ensuring that communities and decisionmakers are equipped with the tools they need to respond.
Highlights
Topics
Adaptation and Resilience
Building resilience and adapting to a changing world
Coastal Resilience
Assessing the design and application of policies to build resilience
Ecosystem Services
Developing environmental management solutions
Hurricanes and Flooding
Studying the impacts of hurricanes and flooding on people and the environment
Insurance and Disaster Aid
Examining ways to make insurance options more affordable
Natural Infrastructure
Examining costs and benefits to inform investment and implementation
Water Resources
Informing effective water management policies, from water rights to quality
Wildfires
Analyzing how communities, land managers, and policymakers can mitigate wildfire disasters
Featured Content
- Highlights
- Publications
- Events
- Editorial
- News
Resources Radio — May 23, 2023
Climate Hits Home: Wildfires in the American West, with Kimi Barrett
Kimi Barrett discusses how climate change intensifies wildfire in the American West and the ways that communities can mitigate related risks.
On the Issues — May 19, 2023
On the Issues: US Debt Limit, Climate Change Hits Home, and More
A biweekly newsletter connecting global current events, pressing climate and energy policy news, and economics research from RFF scholars. This week: US debt limit, climate change hits home, and more.
Resources Magazine — May 18, 2023
Pursuing a Future of Net-Zero Emissions and Net-Positive Economic Solutions
Transformative decisionmaking must be involved in creating a net-zero economy, as discussed by leading voices in research, business, government, and the media at the recent Net-Zero Economy Summit event hosted by Resources for the Future.
Media Highlight — May 16, 2023
Marketplace: "Flood Insurance Program Updates Hit Homeowners Hard"
RFF Fellow Penny Liao is quoted in a highly syndicated piece about rising flood insurance costs.
Working Paper — May 4, 2023
Jobs at Risk: Sea Level Rise, Coastal Flooding, and Local Economies
This study assesses the exposure of local economies to tidal flooding in the Chesapeake Bay region, finding that nearly 50% more jobs will be exposed to 100-year flooding in 2050.
Working Paper — Apr 18, 2023
The Value of Electricity Reliability: Evidence from Battery Adoption
In this working paper, the authors obtain a revealed-preference estimate of the willingness to pay for electricity reliability via uptake of rooftop-solar-plus-battery-storage systems in wildfire-prone areas of California.
Explainer — Mar 14, 2023
Urban Heat Islands 101
This explainer details how heat islands increase temperatures, how different communities are impacted by high urban temperatures, and what can be done to mitigate their negative impacts.
Journal Article — Mar 10, 2023
How Social and Ecological Characteristics Shape Transaction Costs in Polycentric Wildfire Governance: Insights from the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Ecosystem, California, USA
This journal article utilizing exponential random graph modeling to analyze the social and ecological drivers of polycentric wildfire governance in the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Protected Area-Centered Ecosystem.
RFF Live — Nov 30, 2022
Sparking Solutions: Wildfire Risk and Insurance
The third RFF Live event in the "Sparking Solutions" event series examining the role of insurance in mitigating the risks of wildfire.
RFF Live — Oct 12, 2022
Sparking Solutions: Reducing Risk at the Wildland-Urban Interface
On Wednesday, October 12, Resources for the Future (RFF) hosted the second RFF Live event in the “Sparking Solutions” webinar series, where we discussed the benefits and challenges of addressing the WUI problem.
RFF Live — Sep 7, 2022
Sparking Solutions: The Fuels Management Challenge and Opportunity
Examining the role of fuels management in mitigating the impacts and intensity of wildfires
RFF Live — Sep 1, 2022
An Updated Social Cost of Carbon: Calculating the Cost of Climate Change
A multi-institutional research team unveils its updated estimate of the social cost of carbon
Resources Radio — May 23, 2023
Climate Hits Home: Wildfires in the American West, with Kimi Barrett
Kimi Barrett discusses how climate change intensifies wildfire in the American West and the ways that communities can mitigate related risks.
On the Issues — May 19, 2023
On the Issues: US Debt Limit, Climate Change Hits Home, and More
A biweekly newsletter connecting global current events, pressing climate and energy policy news, and economics research from RFF scholars. This week: US debt limit, climate change hits home, and more.
Resources Magazine — May 18, 2023
Pursuing a Future of Net-Zero Emissions and Net-Positive Economic Solutions
Transformative decisionmaking must be involved in creating a net-zero economy, as discussed by leading voices in research, business, government, and the media at the recent Net-Zero Economy Summit event hosted by Resources for the Future.
Common Resources — May 10, 2023
Presenting RFF Data Commons: A Way to Tell Accessible Stories with Data
A new platform from Google and Resources for the Future makes a wealth of data sets accessible with minimal fuss. Meet RFF Data Commons.
Media Highlight — May 16, 2023
Marketplace: "Flood Insurance Program Updates Hit Homeowners Hard"
RFF Fellow Penny Liao is quoted in a highly syndicated piece about rising flood insurance costs.
Media Highlight — May 15, 2023
Public News Service: "Report: Rising Sea Levels to Impact Chesapeake Bay Region's Economy"
A piece syndicated across Virginia radio stations discusses a new RFF report about job loss due to Chesapeake Bay sea level rise.
Press Release — May 4, 2023
Sea Level Rise in the Chesapeake Region May Expose Over 263,000 Jobs to Flood Risk by 2050
A new working paper has found that, due to sea level rise, approximately 87,000 more jobs near the Chesapeake Bay will be at risk of a 100-year flood event in 2050 compared to present.
Press Release — Feb 27, 2023
EPA Awards $1.35 Million Grant to Multi-Institutional Team for Septic Adaptation Research
Resources for the Future scholars Margaret Walls and Yanjun (Penny) Liao are part of a team that will spend the next two years researching the compound issues of climate change and septic failure in coastal Maryland.
