The International Transformational Resilience Coalition (ITRC) addresses the significant and widely overlooked link between the climate crisis and mental wellness. Based in Eugene, Oregon, the organization was founded in 2013 by psychologist and environmental scientist Bob Doppelt. The ITRC recognizes that climate change will destabilize societies and intensify natural disasters, exacerbating the existing mental health epidemic among the global population. As such, it campaigns for a public health approach to this emerging crisis: one that involves acting proactively, rather than reactively, in supporting communities to heal. Its work organizing Community-led Resilience Networks (CRNs) – coalitions that work to prevent climate-generated distress and trauma – was recognized by the UN’s Race to Resilience campaign in 2024. By supporting community members to connect with their neighbors and build emotional resilience, the ITRC helps people find purpose and hope, even amid disaster.
Photo credit: Matt Palmer
Twenty-four people make up the ITRC’s national board, while its international steering committee has 15 members. The CRNs they help to establish cement social bonds, provide mutual aid, and work to ensure no one is left behind in times of climate disaster. CRNs also pursue solutions that actively mitigate the damage brought by climate change, such as reducing local carbon emissions and restoring biodiversity. In hosting regular webinars and a monthly Community of Practice to educate people on equipping themselves to meet their community’s needs and forming CRNs, the ITRC brings together grassroots, education, faith, youth, and other types of organizations. It is currently organizing an international consortium of 140 global CRNs, and previously campaigned extensively around the proposed federal Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Act of 2025, under which the US would take a public health approach to mental health in preparation for the worsening impacts of climate change.
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