5 ways philanthropy can fund climate crisis preparedness

For philanthropic donors, as of just a few years ago, climate change-related issues may have appeared to be a problem for the future. But the recurrence of extreme heat and other natural disasters around the world has brought the issue to the forefront. The world is still not doing enough to reach the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement’s target to keep global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius — and the need for climate preparedness and adaptation has become clear. As such, philanthropists can jump in now to help alleviate irreversible and deadly consequences from upcoming heat waves and help cities or countries be ready for inevitable natural disasters. Earlier this month, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy convened a seminar with Braden Kay, program manager of the Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program of the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research; Nidhi Upadhyaya, deputy director of global policy and finance of the Adrienne-Arsht Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center; and Joseph Karanja, Bill Anderson Fellow, teaching assistant at Arizona State University and board member on urban environment of the American Meteorological Society. They provided insight into their work and real-life examples of how philanthropic donors — whether individuals or institutions — can best approach climate-related issues and strategically frame fundraising campaigns for heat preparedness. Here are five takeaways from the discussion. 1. Take a multistakeholder approach In India, some self-employed women increasingly must work in temperatures above 120 degrees Fahrenheit during some summer days — affecting not only their health but also their livelihood. The extreme heat means they’re likelier to get sick, and they subsequently have to reduce workdays. To best tackle this crisis, the Adrienne Arsht-Rockerfeller Foundation, a climate resilience center part of the Atlantic Council, decided to work with India’s self-employed women’s association, a labor union, to “deliver a holistic approach to this project and create the impact that can directly benefit the physical and economic health of these women as well as protect their families,” Upadhyaya said. As such, tackling the crisis as a multilayered one, and in this case working with organizations helping different segments of the population delivered better results, Upadhyaya said. In another example, the state of California also worked with local Indigenous tribes to both gain from their knowledge and think differently about climate solutions and also to support this community. 2. Adapt to local realities The U.S. state of California tends to be hot and dry, while Florida is hot and humid. Both states are significantly affected by climate change and increasingly high temperatures, but their unique realities mean heat needs to be approached differently. At least, that’s what Braden Kay has experienced in dealing with heat waves in how his home state and comparing notes with colleagues around the country. What this means for philanthropists is that first investing in data is essential but also investing locally instead of globally can have an impact that in many cases can be lifesaving by identifying more precisely vulnerable populations. This idea was echoed by Joseph Karanja, who added that more data is needed to help different efforts be tailored to local realities. “If you’re able to identify these vulnerable groups in some way, you’re able to come up with solutions that could be scalable to different locations and … different hazards,” he said. 3. Transform public infrastructure and landscapes before it’s too late It’s no secret that the environment people live in significantly impacts their lives, as well as their safety and security when an extreme weather event occurs. Integrating a climate perspective when thinking about urban planning — and funding such transformative projects — could have a lifesaving impact in the future, especially when it comes to vulnerable populations. “We need to be making changes in our built environment and making the societal community resilience changes that we need to prepare for hundreds of years of change, as well as saving lives next summer or this coming summer, Braden Kay said. For example, panelists highlighted the need to build cooling centers in some cities, invest in infrastructure with air conditioning, and introduce nature-based solutions alongside local indigenous tribes. 4. Prioritize social equity and inclusion A portion of the population is more vulnerable to heat waves, including homeless people and outdoors workers. This risk multiplies when these populations have disabilities. That’s why, for example, California makes sure to incorporate social workers in every grant and project that deals with heat resilience — so that vulnerable people have a means of being connected to resources in the event of a climate disaster. “It is so important that when you’re funding this type of work, that you’re in consultation with access and functional needs communities that you’re in consultation with [community-based organizations] that represent language diversity, and if you’re really trying to make sure that those programs are meeting all of the needs of the state, all of the needs in the jurisdiction you’re working in,” Kay said. The same applies to communities that speak other languages than English — who tend to also be more at risk — to ensure they have access to services and qualified language interpreters to not only raise awareness but also ensure they have access to the same services as the rest of the population. 5. Reframe the issue in an apolitical way In the United States and elsewhere, the language around climate change has become loaded with political weight and associated with the left, panelists said. However, heat waves are tangible natural disasters that are commonly accepted as a threat and need to be addressed now and head-on. As such, panelists suggested that reframing the way we talk about climate change can be key to directing money to the cause. “When you work on heat, you’re building community resilience for all hazards, and there’s a lot of conservative communities in California and across this country that are ready to take climate action there,” Kay said. As such, panelists said, using language around heat preparedness can be a way to engage communities that may not be so willing to talk about climate change preparedness.