NYC Faith Sector Climate Adaptation Working Group
Faith communities are often the first responders in emergencies. The anchor institutions that keep communities together are vital for the planning of the future; however, they often do not have the resources or capacity to support this work. To address this gap, Rebuild by Design and New York Disaster & Interfaith Services (NYDIS) convened a faith sector working group on long-term climate adaptation planning. Together, the group looked at climate risks in NYC, making space for current and new neighbors, building climate resilience through interfaith networks, accessing funding for planning ahead, and embedding values about how one’s faith compels to climate action, and long term planning for climate migration, in day to day conversations.
THE PROGRAM
Through a 7-month process between April and October 2025, a cohort of NYC faith sector leaders worked together, alongside climate specialists, to build their capacity to communicate with their constituencies about climate hazards, disaster preparedness, and long-term climate adaptation planning. The goals of the program were to:
- LEARN: Visit with faith communities and climate specialists to learn first-hand about the needs and challenges related to climate hazards facing local communities
- COLLABORATE: Exchange knowledge to catalyze faith sector collaboration around climate adaptation & disaster preparedness.
- COMMUNICATE: Inform the creation of a faith sector tool kit to communicate climate risk and solutions to diverse faith communities.
BUILDING HOPE AND SAFETY IN A CHANGING CLIMATE
On November 5th, 2025, Rebuild by Design, NYDIS, and the NYC Faith Sector Climate Adaptation Working Group co-hosted a citywide forum on how faith leaders can work together to help communities prepare for and respond to the next climate shock or stressor.
The event featured:
- A keynote address by NYS DEC Chief Resilience Officer, Suzanna Randall
- The launch of the Working Group’s Faith Sector Toolkit
- Panel discussions with faith sector and community-based organization leaders
- Resources from NYCEM, Center for New York City Neighborhoods, FloodChat, and Rainproof NYC
Thank you to all who joined the event, shared resources, and invaluable insights!
Faith ready: The climate Adaptation Toolkit
Developed through Working Group site visits, shared meals, and conversations in every boroughs, the toolkit offers practical resources to strengthen preparedness, communication, and advocacy within the faith sector. It is designed to help faith leaders:
- Learn about severe weather impacts and identify future risks in their communities
- Easily access resources from governments and nonprofits to prepare for extreme weather events
- Identify language and information to use when calling for action from government or their community
- Equip each other with the knowledge and tools to plan ahead