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Our aim is to advance knowledge on the vicious cycle between climate change and inequality to foster community well-being .

About us 

With climate resilience and inequality as an umbrella, the CLIIR Center focuses on three main themes: Indigenous Knowledge and Governance, Climate Migration, and Climate Change and Health. Our work has been funded by a National Science Foundation planning grant through the Centers for Research Innovation in Science, Environment, and Society (CRISES) program. 

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We work with these three themes because they:
 

  1. leverage areas of strength within our team and partner networks. ​

  2. have significant interconnections, fostering our capacity to think and work holistically.  ​​

  3. provide testing grounds for building the Decision Support Hub and advancing the study of individual and collective decision-making.

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We aim to establish the CLIIR Center as a hub for climate resilience decision support resources.

​The CLIIR Center is housed in the Sustainable Solutions Lab (SSL) at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Our Research

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1

Indigenous Approaches to Resilience

Partnering with the Institute for New England Native American Studies and regional Tribal communities, we explore

models of traditional

Indigenous governance and their role in building resilience and the role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge(TEK) in decision-making about biodiversity and climate resilience projects.

2

Climate Migration

We examine the confluence of factors shaping climate migration and explore comprehensive solutions that foster well-being. Our analyses are grounded in historical and systemic understandings of the drivers of displacement. 

3

Climate Change & Health

We explore the intersection of inequality, health and well-being, and climate risks, examining the ways that climate change exacerbates health disparities. We aim to develop integrative approaches to address these challenges and enhance community resilience.

The CLIIR Center is dedicated to translating use-inspired basic research into impactful community solutions through a transdisciplinary approach. Our center functions as a decision support hub for community groups, policymakers, planners, and engineers working in climate resilience. We aim to develop innovative decision modeling, decision support systems design, and community-engaged decision science.

 

We leverage advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Agent-Based Modeling, Systems Dynamics, and Decision-Making under Deep Uncertainty. These tools help integrate adaptive human behavior, beliefs, and values with environmental and economic data, addressing complex decision-making contexts.​​

 

For more information on our decision support team, expertise, and activities, see our Decision Support Hub section. ​​

Meet the Team

Portrait of B. R. Balachandran, Executive Director, smiling and wearing glasses, a white shirt, and a dark blazer, standing outdoors with greenery in the background.

Balakrishnan R Balachandran  

Adaptation and post-disaster recovery, Urban planning

Portrait of Pratyush Bharati, Professor, wearing glasses and a dark blazer over a red collared shirt, with a neutral gray background.

Pratyush Bharati

Green Information Systems

Portrait of Gabriela Boscio Santos, Associate Director, smiling and wearing glasses, a navy blouse with a teal blazer, standing in front of a blurred urban background.

Gabriela Boscio Santos   

Climate Resilience

Engagement

Portrait of NyingiIanyeoifori Hannah Brown, smiling, with braided hair pulled back, wearing a polka dot top and black blazer, sitting in front of a light background.

Nyingilanyeofori Hannah Brown

Sustainable Development 

Climate and Community Resilience.

Portrait of Elora Halim Chowdhury, smiling slightly, with long black hair, wearing a black top, against a soft gray gradient background.

Elora Halim Chowdhury

Climate Migration

Human Rights

Portrait of Tayo Fabusuyi, wearing glasses and a dark suit with a white shirt, looking directly at the camera, with a dark background.

Tayo Fabusuyi

Artificial Intelligence

Portrait of Michael P. Johnson, smiling, with short hair and a light shirt under a blazer, with a neutral gray background.

Michael P. Johnson

Operations Research and Decision Support Systems

Portrait of Paul Kirshen, smiling widely, with white hair and wearing a suit and tie, against a plain light gray background.

Paul Kirshen

Decision Making under Deep Uncertianty

Portrait of Georgia Mavrommati, with dark wavy hair, wearing a black top, standing outside with trees in the background.

Georgia Mavrommati

Systems Dynamics

Portrait of Alexander More, with short brown hair, wearing a blazer over a white shirt, with a beach and ocean in the background.

Alexander More​

Climate Change and

Health

Portrait of Rosalyn Negrón, with long dark brown hair, wearing a maroon top, sitting at a desk with a glass door in the background.

Rosalyn Negrón

Climate Migration

Transdisciplinary Research Methods

Portrait of Amit Patel, smiling, wearing a light gray shirt, with a plain light background.

Amit Patel

Agent Based Modelling

GIS

Portrait of Antonio Raciti, with wavy brown hair and a beard, wearing a light shirt and brown blazer, smiling against an indoor background.

Antonio Raciti

Urban Planning and Community Development

Portrait of Rajini Srikanth, with short gray hair and glasses, smiling gently, wearing a black top and gray cardigan, with a neutral background.

Rajini Srikanth

Human Rights

Portrait of James Cedric Woods, smiling, with glasses and short hair, wearing a checkered shirt and beige blazer, against a plain light background.

James Cedric Woods

Indigenous Knowledge and Approaches

For more information on the Climate Inequality and Integrative Resilience (CLIIR) Center, please contact Rosalyn Negrón (Program Director) and Nyingilanyeofori Hannah Brown (Program Coordinator) 

‪(617) 419-0082

ssl@umb.edu

cliirumass@gmail.com

Climate Inequality and Integrative Resilience Center (CLIIR Center)

Sustainable Solutions Lab

University of Massachusetts, Boston

100 Morrissey Blvd.

Boston, MA 02125

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