People & Society

Climate change will affect peoples’ health through increased exposure to extreme heat, wildfire smoke, diseases and other hazards. Changes in patterns of precipitation and snow melt, among other climate impacts, will affect agriculture, the built environment, recreation and other facets of society.

These impacts will not be distributed equitably among communities; communities of color, Indigenous communities, low-income communities and Northwesterners most dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods stand to experience these impacts first and worst.

Overview of the impacts of climate change on human health and society in the Northwest

News, multimedia & research spotlights

Climate Risk Assessment for Washington State

This project supports the Office of the Governor, Washington State agencies and some local jurisdictions in addressing climate resilience by providing an updated climate risk assessment designed to inform future updates to the statewide climate resilience strategy. Developed alongside the Washington State University IMPACT Center, the assessment compiles information on the biophysical and economic impacts of climate change.

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In the Hot Seat:

Saving Lives from Extreme Heat in Washington State

This report describes the problem of extreme heat and outlines specific, actionable guidance for short-term emergency response and long-term risk reduction. The report highlights roles state and local governments, elected officials, community- and faith-based organizations and others can play in reducing the health impacts of heat exposure and saving lives from extreme heat. This report is also available in Spanish.

Crosscut: As landslides close roads, Washington's remote towns deal with isolation

Washington's rain isn't just gloomy — it's creating landslides that cut off rural communities. And as the climate warms, scientists warn they could get more frequent.

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An Unfair Share

Exploring the disproportionate risks from climate change facing Washington state communities

This report strives to clarify how communities may be exposed differently to climate-related hazards and how factors like race/ethnicity, wealth, income, level of education and health status affect the ability to cope with climate impacts, or related harms.

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Selected tools & completed projects

Clean Energy Transformation Act

Cumulative Impact Analysis

We produced climate projection data for a state-managed tool that illustrates health and environmental data by location across Washington. The tool is intended to help state officials, social justice organizations and power companies take climate change into account in planning during the next several decades.

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Extreme Weather and Seattle City Light Operations

Future changes in extreme winds, temperatures and lightning could affect numerous aspects of Seattle City Light’s operations and planning. This project uses a new set of projections to estimate changes in 15 metrics of extreme weather related to winds, temperature and lightning. The results will be presented in a set of fact sheets designed to support climate-resilient planning and decision-making by City Light staff.

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Climate-Related Migration to the Pacific Northwest

This project consisted of a literature review and a subsequent symposium. The 30-page brief summarizing the symposium will be most useful for experts in the public sector, including urban/regional planners and policy makers, researchers and others who want to increase their understanding of population forecast methodology and climate impacts science, and learn more about the information and research needs for furthering our understanding of climate change-driven migration in Washington and Oregon.

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2021 Pacific Northwest Water Year Assessment

The 2021 Pacific Northwest Water Year Impacts Assessment summarizes the water year conditions and related impacts experienced by farmers, water managers, fisheries managers, and other natural resource managers.

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