The Gulf Coast includes the country’s most climate vulnerable counties and census tracts in the United States. With high rates of economic, racial, and health inequities, the dangers faced from flooding, hurricanes, industrial pollution, and extreme heat compound.  In this town hall, Gulf Coast environmental justice community leaders working regionally and in partnership with the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine will share their perspectives on the role of climate science  in their advocacy and how scientists can best collaborate with them. Following short talks (8 mins), the panelists will engage in round table conversations, moderated in partnership with the Thriving Earth Exchange fellows, regarding their experiences in conducting or seeking geospatial data, community science, and more generally in working with Gulf Coast communities.The intention of the conversation is to spark community-engaged and community-led transdisciplinary research collaborations and partnerships ahead of next year’s American Meteorological Society meeting in Houston. This conversation combines climate, environmental, and health sciences across disciplinary boundaries to identify environmental and health injustices, examine societally relevant scientific questions, and collaborate in and with frontline communities for solution-oriented decision making at all scales. As part of this effort, we look to community leaders to understand how they view the role of science in their environmental justice advocacy and what makes for positive community engagement.

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