Indiana University's Environmental Resilience Institute, part of the Prepared for Environmental Change Grand Challenge initiative, has launched the Hoosier Resilience Index, a first-of-its-kind online tool to help local governments and Indiana residents understand how their communities are vulnerable to climate change and what they can do to respond.
Drawing from publicly available datasets, the index places community-specific information at the fingertips of local leaders, providing data for every town, city, and county in the state. The data include information about extreme heat and precipitation projections, flood plain and land use maps, and demographic information of vulnerable neighborhoods.
The index helps local governments assess their readiness for environmental change and track community progress. By filling out a questionnaire, communities can score themselves and identify areas where they can work toward greater resilience.
Additional coverage by Indiana Public Media, Chicago Tribune, Inside Indiana Business, Indy Star, WBOI, Tribune-Star, WBIW, and Indiana Daily Student.
