Building Resilience Against Climate Risks

Introduction:

Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, posing unprecedented risks to societies worldwide. The increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related hazards such as extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and prolonged droughts are testing the resilience of complex systems. Understanding and enhancing resilience against climate risks is critical in ensuring sustainable development and safeguarding human well-being.

This joint special issue of Risk Sciences and Advances in Climate Change Research invites original research articles, reviews, and case studies that explore the multifaceted dimensions of societal resilience in the face of climate risks.

We seek contributions that address the vulnerability, exposure, hazards and responses in complex systems, as well as the broader social, economic, and political implications of climate-induced instability.

By fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, this special issue aims to advance methodologies, strategies, and policies that can strengthen societal resilience and promote sustainable adaptation.

Topics covered:

1. Analysis of Vulnerability, Exposure, Hazards and Responses in Complex Systems
• Risk assessment of civil engineering projects and critical infrastructure under climate stress.
• Consequences of instability in ecological, economic, and technological systems.
• Cascading risks and systemic interdependencies in the context of climate change.
2. Impacts on Social Systems
• Effects of climate risks on human physical and mental health.
• Implications for societal cohesion, political stability, and international cooperation.
• The role of inequality, migration, and displacement in shaping vulnerability.
• The impact of climate risks on firm value and corporate strategies
3. Methodologies for Enhancing Recovery Capacities
• Innovative approaches to building resilience in communities and systems.
• Tools and frameworks for assessing and improving adaptive capacity.
• Lessons learned from disaster recovery and post-crisis rebuilding efforts.
4. Development and Evaluation of Adaptation Measures
• Trade-offs and unintended consequences of adaptation strategies.
• Risks associated with maladaptation and how to mitigate them.
• The role of technology, policy, and governance in fostering effective adaptation.
5. Impacts on Social Welfare Systems and Inequalities
• How climate disasters strain social welfare systems and exacerbate inequalities.
• Strategies to ensure equitable access to resources and support in the face of climate risks.
• The intersection of climate resilience and social justice.
6. Pathways to a Resilient and Sustainable Society
• Integrating resilience into sustainable development goals.
• The role of education, community engagement, and behavioral change in fostering resilience.
• Long-term strategies for building a climate-resilient society.
7. Capacity building to cope with compounding climate risks (CCRs)
• Quantitative assessment of CCRs
• Approaches to alleviating the impact of compounding climate hazards
• Drivers of CCRs and response strategies

Submission instructions:

Please read the Guide for Authors before submitting. All articles should be submitted online, please select [VSI: Resilience] on submission.

• Submission deadline: 1 March 2026

Guest editors:

• Laixiang Sun, SOAS University of London, UK; University of Maryland, USA. lsun123@umd.edu
• Tong Jiang, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, China. jiangtong@nuist.edu.cn
• Deliang Chen, Tsinghua University, China, and University of Gothenburg, Sweden. deliangchen@tsinghua.edu.cn
• Shilu Tong, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, China; Queensland University of Technology, Australia. tongshilu@nieh.chinacdc.cn; s.tong@qut.edu.au