Climate Change and Displacement in U.S. Communities

Denver, Alex Gray (CC BY 3.0 [https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73793552])
Abstract
Climate change is playing a bigger role in determining where and how we live, and is limiting access to and availability of affordable healthy housing, healthy food choices, transportation choices, and social networks, which is forcing displacement of individuals and communities. Displacement—whether temporary or permanent, forced or voluntary—is an issue rooted in inequity and exacerbated by climate change. As part of EcoAdapt’s State of Adaptation Program, we partnered with the Strong, Prosperous, and Resilient Communities Challenge (SPARCC) to conduct a survey to determine if and how people working to address displacement pressures are considering the effects of climate change. This report presents the results of a survey of ~200 respondents from across the United States, along with examples and case studies of climate-informed anti-displacement efforts.