Climate Vulnerability Index in New Jersey

Background
Coastal communities are increasingly experiencing the impacts of climate hazards, making it essential to understand how environmental risks intersect with social vulnerability. This NOAA-funded research seeks to identify what and who is most at risk from climate-related hazardswhile developing and evaluating coastal resilience and community planning models that in corporate the social vulnerability of affected populations. By integrating these factors into planning and decision-making, the project aims to equip coastal communities with the tools andknowledge needed to make more informed, equitable, and resilient decisions.
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Project Description
This project aims to develop a high-resolution Hazard Vulnerability Index (2HVI) to identify and map localized climate vulnerabilities across New Jersey’s coastal communities. By integrating multimodal data sources, including satellite imagery, climate hazard data, socioeconomic characteristics, built-environment features, infrastructure accessibility, and social media discourse, the index will provide a more comprehensive and spatially detailed assessment of vulnerability. The research will employ data-driven techniques to construct a composite index that captures three key dimensions of vulnerability: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Community surveys will guide feature selection and validate the index, helping identify overlooked vulnerable areas. Ultimately, the project will provide high-resolution vulnerability maps and evidence-based decision-support tools to help local governments, planners, and community organizations prioritize resources, develop targeted adaptation strategies, and strengthen equitable climate resilience.
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Partner Organizations and Programs
The New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center at Rutgers University, George Mason
University, Harvard’s Center for Geographic Analysis