Ad hoc planning committees, convened by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, will organize a series of public workshops to explore specific actions that can be taken when working with communities and other stakeholders to improve climate-related health outcomes and reduce health disparities. Gaps in research to achieve these goals will also be discussed. The workshop series will bring insights from leaders and innovators from vulnerable communities that are adversely and disproportionately impacted and offer a platform to foster connections with decision-makers from multiple sectors. Invited presentations will explore the actors and actions that can help advance the design and investment in health equity in the natural and built environments. In developing the workshop series, the planning committees will consider:

1. The state of knowledge on the health effects of climate change on vulnerable communities in the United States that are disproportionately impacted, along with existing and promising research, resources, policies, and design strategies from government, industry, and communities;
2. Community initiatives that have sought to address climate-related health inequities in disproportionately impacted communities; and
3. Opportunities for decision-makers, leaders, and stakeholders at the national, state, and local levels to collaborate with communities to close capacity gaps and design constructive solutions to climate-related health disparities.

The series will culminate in a public discussion on the information presented and will explore pathways available for decision-makers, researchers, and planners at all levels to design equitable solutions to the public health consequences associated with the climate crisis, including future research possibilities and opportunities for action. Proceedings in brief capturing the presentations and discussions from each workshop will be prepared by a designated rapporteur in accordance with institutional guidelines. Insights will also be captured and organized by actor and sector in a digital, user-friendly workshop guide. The workshops will not produce conclusions or recommendations.
The first workshop [October 2021] explored broad concepts of climate change and health equity, including why these issues should be viewed as a public health emergency, what challenges make them difficult to address, and who is most affected. The second workshop [May 2022] focused more specifically on state-level actions and actors that are most critical in addressing these climate-related health consequences. The third workshop [June 2023] outlined existing barriers and identified solutions for key elements of “effective action” in preventing and mitigating inequitable health impacts of extreme heat, focusing on real-world challenges affecting communities.
The fourth workshop in this series will build on these foundations and past work of the National Academies to discuss health inequities, community vulnerability, and adaptation strategies to flooding events by:

1. Reviewing and exploring health risks to communities from stormwater runoff induced flooding events, including how communities experience risks differently depending on new and existing social, health, economic, and environmental stressors.
2. Discussing adaptation strategies that have the potential to improve community resilience and reduce health inequities, prior, during, and after flooding events. Lessons learned from prior adaptations will be discussed with a focus on vulnerable communities. Potential adaptation strategies may include a range of physical, social, and financial options.
3. Providing a platform to facilitate partnerships among government, academia, and private sectors, to implement these adaptation strategies locally.