Director: Balakrishnan Balachandran
The Sustainable Solutions Lab (SSL) at UMass Boston is a community-engaged research and action institute dedicated to strengthening the resilience of historically excluded people and communities in the face of climate change. A groundbreaking, transdisciplinary initiative based in the provost's office, SSL advances climate justice through rigorous research, community building, and direct engagement in local climate resilience efforts.
SSL focuses on:
Advancing Climate Justice Research: Conducting diverse research projects that examine the varied impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities.
Building a Research Community:Redefining what "counts" as climate research and actively engaging with social scientists, scholars, and organizations focused on racial justice—particularly those who may not have previously seen their work as intersecting with the climate crisis.
Advancing Local Climate Resilience: Consistently organizing events and producing policy briefings that convene adaptation professionals, showcase cutting-edge research, and amplify stories from frontline communities. Through targeted research and strategic partnerships, we foster equitable solutions that strengthen local climate resilience.
Articles
Critical approaches to climate-induced migration research and solutions, Rosalyn Negrón, David Hernández, Hossein Ayazi, Pablo Shiladitaya Bose, Nyingilanyeofori Brown, Elora Chowdhury, Janelle Knox-Hayes, Rajini Srikanth, Banu Subramaniam, Farhana Sultana, Patrick Sylvain, Carlos Vargas-Ramos, and Charles Venator-Santiago
Community-Led Climate Preparedness and Resilience in Boston: New Evidence from Communities of Color, Katsyris Rivera-Kientz, Rosalyn Negron, Lorena Estrada-Martínez, Nyingilanyeofori Hannah Brown, Chidimma Ozor Commer, Mahesh Admankar, Jessica Lillquist, Nicholas Johnson, Racheal Inegbedion, and Paul Watanabe
Oportunidad en la Complejidad:Recomendaciones para una Resiliencia ClimáticaEquitativa en East Boston, Patricio Belloy, Antonio Raciti, Katsyris Rivera-Kientz, and Rebecca Herst
Opportunity in the Complexity: Recommendations for Equitable Climate Resilience in East Boston, Patricio Belloy, Antonio Raciti, Katsyris Rivera-Kientz, and Rebecca Herst
Research Reports
Who Counts in Climate Resilience? Transient Populations and Climate Resilience in Boston and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Johnna Flahive, Katsyris Rivera Kientz, Dlynzee Damas, Chris Watson, Evan Stewart, and Ellen Douglas
Voices that Matter: Boston Area Residents of Color Discuss Climate Change, Lorena M. Estrada-Martínez, Paul Watanabe, and Katsyris Rivera-Kientz
Connecting for Equitable Climate Adaptation: Mapping Stakeholder Relationships in Metro Boston, Rosalyn Negrón, Antonio Raciti, Rebecca Herst, Patricio Belloy, Katsyris Rivera-Kientz, Gabriela Boscio Santos, and Ashley Smith
Learning from the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program in the Greater Boston Region, Patricio Belloy, David Sulewski, and Stacy D. VanDeveer
Views that Matter: Race and Opinions on Climate Change of Boston Area Residents, Lorena M. Estrada-Martínez, Paul Watanabe, and Katsyris Rivera-Kientz
Executive Summary_Feasibility of Harbor-wide Barrier Systems: Preliminary Analysis for Boston Harbor, Paul Kirshen, Kelli Turson, Brett McMann, Carly Foster, Heather Sprague, Hugh Roberts, Mark Borrelli, Jarrett Byrnes, Robert Chen, Lucy Lockwood, Chris Watson, Kimberly Starbuck, Jack Wiggin, Allison Novelly, Kristin Uiterwyk, Kirk Bosma, Eric Holmes, Zach Stromer, Joe Famely, Alex Shaw, Brittany Hofnagle, Di Jin, Rebecca Herst, Emily Moothart, Courtney Humphries, Robert L. Turner, Bud Ris, Jill Valdes Horwood, Mia Mansfield, Carl Spector, Chad Cox, Stephen Lecco, Daniel Stapleton, Bin Wang, Wayne Cobleigh, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, Carole McCauley, Michael Meyran, John Mandelman, Philip Orton, Malcolm Bowman, Bob Daylor, Jason Hellendrung, Mark Williams, Ellen Douglas, and Martijn de Jong
Feasibility of Harbor-wide Barrier Systems: Preliminary Analysis for Boston Harbor, Paul Kirshen, Kelli Turson, Brett McMann, Carly Foster, Heather Sprague, Hugh Roberts, Mark Borrelli, Jarrett Byrnes, Robert Chen, Lucy Lockwood, Chris Watson, Kimberly Starbuck, Jack Wiggin, Allison Novelly, Kristin Uiterwyk, Kirk Bosma, Eric Holmes, Zach Stromer, Joe Famely, Alex Shaw, Brittany Hofnagle, Di Jin, Rebecca Herst, Emily Moothart, Courtney Humphries, Robert L. Turner, Bud Ris, Jill Valdes Horwood, Mia Mansfield, Carl Spector, Chad Cox, Stephen Lecco, Daniel Stapleton, Bin Wang, Wayne Cobleigh, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, Carole McCauley, Michael Meyran, John Mandelman, Philip Orton, Malcolm Bowman, Bob Daylor, Jason Hellendrung, Mark Williams, Ellen Douglas, and Martijn de Jong