Embedding Equity in Adaptation

The climate resilience field has experienced significant growth in the past decade, as evident by the extensive repository of resources now available to support decision-makers, as well as the growth of the resilience community itself. However, equity has not been sufficiently prioritized or integrated into adaptation processes or projects.

Embedding Equity in Adaptation, a new ARCCA initiative funded by the Climate Resilience Fund, seeks to directly address this gap by setting in motion an accelerated cycle of learning, institutionalizing, and implementing equity principles and practices. By leveraging existing infrastructure and resources, this project will build much-needed capacity among adaptation practitioners, organizations, and networks while codifying equity in governance procedures and catalyzing local climate equity initiatives to demonstrate proof-of-concept.

Phase 1: Learning

The first phase of ARCCA’s Embedding Equity in Adaptation initiative will launch with an initial Member Equity Assessment, a self-evaluation for ARCCA members to assess their current understanding and practice of equity in adaptation to establish a baseline and to inform the initiative. ARCCA will then organize a series of Equity in Adaptation Learning Seminars, interactive webinars focused on furthering the adaptation community’s understanding of the history, guiding principles, and strategies related to environmental justice, race and health equity, and the Just Transition framework. A series of Equity in Adaptation Peer Learning Circles will also be organized to foster knowledge exchange and build mutual support for advancing equity in the field of adaptation.

Phase 2: Institutionalizing

ARCCA will work with an equity consultant to review ARCCA’s Governance Structure and Guiding Principles for Adaptation and Collaboration to identify opportunities to further embed equity and integrate Just Transition principles, processes, and practices. This effort will result in Equitable Governance Procedures and Guiding Principles for ARCCA, as well as Recommendations for Equitable Regional Collaborative Governance Models to share with ARCCA’s member regional climate collaboratives. Finally, the Adaptation Capability Advancement (Adapt-CA) Toolkit will be updated to reflect a focused equity lens and actionable strategies for embedding equity in adaptation.

Phase 3: Implementing

ARCCA will provide technical assistance to support the implementation of equity strategies in ARCCA members’ adaptation efforts and create a series of local case studies that detail the key steps, challenges, lessons learned, and initial outcomes of replicable equitable adaptation initiatives. Finally, ARCCA will conduct a series of dissemination activities to share project outcomes, lessons learned, and replicable strategies with the national adaptation community.

Building an Inclusive and Equitable Adaptation Movement: Youth Voices

Tuesday, July 20 | 10:00 – 11:00am

This seminar will feature speakers from an often overlooked and underrepresented community in the climate adaptation space – Youth. During this seminar, three youth speakers will provide insight into their unique experiences working in the climate adaptation space and share lessons learned and key takeaways with an audience of adaptation practitioners across the state. Individual presentations will be followed by a moderated panel discussion with opportunities for audience Q&A. This event is open to the public and we hope you will be able to join us!

Seminar Recording

Presentation (PDF)

Speakers

Skyler Kriese

CivicSpark Fellow

Skyler graduated from Santa Clara University in 2020 with a B.S. in Environmental Studies. She is a 2020-2021 CivicSpark AmeriCorps Fellow supporting Butte County Department of Development Services on three grant-funded, long-range planning projects related to the General Plan 2040 Update: the Climate Action Plan Update, Upper Ridge Community Plan, and North Chico Village Vision Plan. Skyler is grateful that CivicSpark allowed her to put theory about community-based research, namely from the SB-1000 Toolkit, into practice while she facilitated outreach processes. Following her service year, she will continue her studies at the University of Michigan, pursuing an M.S. in Environmental Justice and Environmental Policy & Planning.

Moiz Mir

Program Coordinator | 350 Sacramento

Moiz Mir was the president of the Environmental Student Organization at CSUS, 2017–2019. As an intern at the Sacramento Mayor’s Office, he organized youth summits to include students’ voices in the Mayors’ Commission on Climate Change, and served on the Commission’s Community Health & Resiliency and Equity Technical Advisory Committees. He co-won a statewide “Best Practice in Student Sustainability Leadership Award” for organizing the CSUS Student Summit on Climate Change. As a student, Moiz worked on the Bushy Lake Restoration Project, supervising student plant experiments. With Sunrise Movement Sacramento, Moiz is engaging youth in climate justice action. Last year Moiz became the first staff at 350 Sacramento, where he’s since developed a new after-school Student Environmental Activist Training Program.

Tianna Shaw-Wakeman

USC Valedictorian Class of 2021

Tianna Shaw-Wakeman holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology and a Masters degree in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California where she graduated as the first Black University Valedictorian for the Class of 2021. During her time as a student, Tianna committed herself to helping USC become more sustainable. She helped spearhead the campus No Plastic Straws in Dining Halls movement which terminated plastic straw use, interned for the former USC Housing Sustainability Manager, Directed the prominent campus environmental activism group ECore, acted as the Lead Organizer for the USC 2019 Climate Strike, and she co-founded DivestSC. USC has since announced a commitment to full divestment from fossil fuels. Beyond her activism, Tianna served on the USC Sustainability Steering Committee and the Presidential Working Group for Sustainable Education, Research, and Operations to push for sustainability campus-wise. In addition to these achievements, Tianna is proud to be a Sydney Harman Polymathic Fellow, Phi Beta Kappa, a Brittingham Social Enterprise Scholar, and a former member of LA Mayor Garcetti’s Youth Council on Climate Action.

Building an Inclusive and Equitable Adaptation Movement: Native/Tribal Voices

Tuesday, August 24 | 10:00 – 11:00am

This seminar will feature speakers from an often overlooked an underrepresented community in the climate adaptation space – Native and Tribal members. During this seminar, three Native and/or Tribal members will provide insight into their unique experiences working in the climate adaptation space and share lessons learned and key takeaways with an audience of adaptation practitioners across the state. Individual presentations will be followed by a moderated panel discussion with opportunities for audience Q&A. This event is open to the public and we hope you will be able to join us!

Speakers

Moderator:
Teresa Romero
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash

Sheridan Noelani Enomoto
Water and Climate Justice Advocate

Raquelle Myers, Executive Director
National Indian Justice Center

Raymond Gutteriez, Eco-Cultural Ecologist
Wuksachi Indian Tribe

Seminar Recording

Building an Inclusive and Equitable Adaptation Movement: Spanish Speaking Voices

Thursday, September 9th | 10:00 – 11:00am

This seminar will feature speakers from an often overlooked and underrepresented community in the climate adaptation space, Spanish speakers. During this seminar, three Spanish speakers will provide insight into their unique experiences working in the climate adaptation space and share lessons learned and key takeaways with an audience of adaptation practitioners across the state. Individual presentations will be followed by a moderated panel discussion with opportunities for audience Q&A. This event is open to the public and we hope you will be able to join us!

Grabacion

Construyendo un Movimiento de Adaptación Inclusivo y equitativo: Voces Hispanohablantes

Jueves 9 de Septiembre | 10:00 – 11:00am

Este seminario contará con oradores de una comunidad a menudo pasada por alto y subrepresentada en el espacio de adaptación, hispanohablantes. Durante este seminario, tres hispanohablantes brindarán información sobre sus experiencias únicas trabajando en la adaptación climática y compartirán lecciones aprendidas y conclusiones claves con una audiencia de profesionales de la adaptación que cubre todo el estado. Las presentaciones individuales serán seguidas por un panel de discusión moderado con oportunidades para preguntas y respuestas de la audiencia. ¡Este evento está abierto al público y esperamos que pueda unirse a nosotros!

Recording

Speakers/Oradores

Natalie Hernandez

Associate Director, Climate Planning & Resilience/Directora Adjunta, Planificación Climática y de Resiliencia | Climate Resolve

Natalie Hernandez es especialista en política ambiental y planificación comunitaria. Desde que está en Climate Resolve, ha gestionado el investigación sobre preparacion climatica llamado “¿listo para mañana?”, fue coautora de la Guía de Planificación de Adaptación del estado, dirigió el alcance comunitario para un proyecto de enfriamiento urbano en Canoga Park y brindó experiencia técnica en varios programas de subvenciones climáticas. Natalie está bien informada sobre los procesos gubernamentales del cambio climático, la financiación, la participación de las partes interesadas y la resiliencia.

Natalie Hernandez is a specialist in environmental policy and community planning. Since being at Climate Resolve, she has managed the “Ready for Tomorrow?” climate preparedness research, co-authored the State’s Adaptation Planning Guide, led community outreach for an urban cooling project in Canoga Park, and provided technical expertise on various climate grant programs. Natalie is knowledgeable about climate change government processes, funding, stakeholder engagement, and resilience.

Ana Rosa Rizo-Centino

Executive Director/Directora Ejecutiva | One Step a la Vez

Ana Rosa Rizo-Centino, elegida para el Concejo Municipal de Maywood en 2007, se desempeñó como alcaldesa de Maywood. Ahora es directora ejecutiva de One Step A La Vez, que es un centro de recursos para adolescentes en el valle del río Santa Clara. Ana Rosa se graduó de UC Santa Barbara y ha trabajado a nivel local en muchos esfuerzos de justicia social. Su trabajo se centra en la justicia del idioma, el acceso a la educación, la transparencia del gobierno, el apoyo a las familias trabajadoras y los problemas de justicia ambiental, como el agua potable. Antes de su trabajo como funcionaria electa, Ana Rosa se desempeñó como Comisionada de Planificación para la Ciudad de Maywood, Directora Ejecutiva del Fondo Educativo PUEBLO & PUEBLO, Organizadora Principal de California para el Ministerio Nacional de Trabajadores Agrícolas (con base en la Iglesia de Santa Rosa de Lima) y se ha desempeñado como Coordinadora Nacional del Proyecto de Acción Laboral Estudiantil para la Asociación de Estudiantes de los Estados Unidos y Jobs with Justice.

Elected to Maywood City Council in 2007, Ana Rosa Rizo-Centino served as Maywood’s Mayor. She is now executive director of One Step A La Vez, which is a teen resource center in the Santa Clara River Valley.

Ana Rosa graduated from UC Santa Barbara and has worked locally on many social justice efforts. Her work focuses on language justice, educational access, government transparency, support for working families and environmental justice issues, such as clean drinking water. Prior to her work as an elected official, Ana Rosa also served as a Planning Commissioner for the City Of Maywood, Executive Director for PUEBLO & PUEBLO Education Fund, California Lead Organizer for the National Farm Worker Ministry (based at Santa Rosa de Lima Church) and has served as the National Coordinator for the Student Labor Action Project for the United States Student Association and Jobs with Justice.

Christian Torres

Special Projects Manager/Gerente de Proyectos Especiales | Comite Civico del Valle

Christian Torres es el Gerente de Proyectos Especiales del Comité Cívico del Valle encontrando oportunidades para abordar las preocupaciones de la comunidad a través de la misión de la organización. Recientemente, Christian también cofundó la IV Equity & Justice Coalition con otros miembros de la comunidad de ideas afines. En ambos roles, usa su formación científica para mejorar sus comunidades.

Christian Torres is the Special Projects Manager with Comite Civico Del Valle finding opportunities to address community concerns through the organization’s mission. Recently Christian also co-founded the IV Equity & Justice Coalition with other like-minded community members. In both roles he uses his science background to better his communities.

Felipe Escobar

Organizing Director/Director Organizador | Paicoma Beautiful

Felipe Escobar es el Director de Organización de Pacoima Beautiful. En esta capacidad, apoya al equipo de organización comunitaria para involucrar a los miembros de la comunidad en torno a los problemas de justicia ambiental que afectan el noreste del Valle de San Fernando. Felipe es un inmigrante de Guatemala y se mudó a los Estados Unidos a una edad temprana. Su experiencia limpiando casas con su madre cuando era adolescente le dio una perspectiva sobre las injusticias ambientales que enfrentan las comunidades de color en Estados Unidos en comparación con lo que enfrentan las comunidades blancas. Felipe recibió una licenciatura en ciencias políticas de la Universidad Estatal de California, Northridge. El objetivo principal de Felipe es garantizar que las comunidades que a menudo quedan fuera de nuestro proceso democrático puedan tener voz. En su tiempo libre, a Felipe le gusta correr por los senderos de Griffith Park.

Felipe Escobar is the Organizing Director at Pacoima Beautiful. In this role, Felipe works to elevate residents’ lived experiences in frontline communities most impacted by climate change to ensure that they are the nearest to power and can inform and drive policies that will impact the community.

Building an Inclusive and Equitable Adaptation Movement: A series of Learning Seminars

ARCCA’s summer learning seminar series – “Building an Inclusive and Equitable Adaptation Movement” – will be focused on the intersection of equity and adaptation. This series will feature voices from underrepresented communities historically left out of climate conversations and highlight community-led initiatives to advance climate equity and build community resilience. There will be three learning seminars in total and they will take place in July, August, and September (respectively). The content shared will be most useful for adaptation practitioners and local government officials, but all are welcome to attend. Please register for the individual learning seminars below. An agenda and list of speakers for each seminar will be shared out at a later date.