Disaster Resilience Initiative
Building the Foundation for a Resilient Future
Complex and intersecting disasters, including climate change, megafires, and the pandemic, are disrupting the ways in which Californians live and work. Science and technology are advancing a range of sectors in ways that heighten opportunities for social progress, but also threaten to magnify existing social inequalities and present risks to privacy, public safety, and national security.
In recognition of this need, and the increasing scale of disasters in California, CCST launched our Disaster Resilience Initiative to increase the delivery and responsiveness of advisory services provided by independent experts to State policymakers.
CCST’s Disaster Resilience Initiative is generously supported by the State of California through a one-time funding allocation in the 2021-2022 State budget. This allocation supports the transmission of information between science and technology experts and policymakers focused on the overlapping, intersecting, and compounding nature of disasters in California.
Media Information
Resilience Publications & Projects
We know science and technology must be essential components of our recovery from the pandemic and our preparation for future complex disasters.
Peter Cowhey
CCST Board Chair
CCST Annual Report
Providing Impact Toward a Resilient California
In our Annual Report, CCST's leaders reflect on our 35 years of impact — and the progress made on our disaster resilience initiative, Toward a Resilient California, through our suite of Science Services including Expert Briefings, Studies and Publications, workshops and more. This works includes:
- Peer-reviewed study with Blue Forest: "The Human Health Benefits of Improving Forest Health in California."
- Energy primer for California policymakers: "Key Challenges for California's Energy Future"
- Federal Labs Impact Report: Highlighting the cutting edge research happening at our Partner Institutions.
- Wildland fire policy accelerator: A partnership with the Federation of American Scientists, COMPASS, and Conservation X Labs to develop policy memos for the Federal Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission.
Resilience News and Events
Our Mission
To engage leading experts in science and technology to advise State policymakers - ensuring that California policy is strengthened and informed by scientific knowledge, research, and innovation.
