In episode 253 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons speaks with Dr. Shalini Vajjhala, Executive Director of The Pre-Collective, about why climate adaptation still struggles to scale and whether the real challenge is less about engineering and more about coordination, trust, and financing. Drawing from two recent essays, Shalini discusses her argument that the U.S. is experiencing a “civic disaster,” where weakened institutions and declining public trust are undermining our ability to respond to growing climate risks. Doug and Shalini explore why adaptation projects often remain stuck in pilot mode, the role of “predevelopment” in resilience finance, why avoided losses are so difficult to fund, and what separates communities that actually build projects from those trapped in endless planning cycles. They also examine the growing political dimensions of adaptation, the role of philanthropy and public institutions, why adaptation still lacks broader “FOMO,” and how communication failures may be slowing progress across the field. 

Check out the America Adapts Starter Page to help you dig into the archive! 

Links in this episode: 

• “Resilience Finance Still Isn’t Scaling—Is Predevelopment the Missing Piece or Just Another Layer?”
• The US is in the midst of a civic disaster. We have to invest in collective action for our recovery starting now.

Key Themes Covered in This Episode

• why climate adaptation still isn’t scaling
• the idea of a growing “civic disaster” in the U.S.
• trust, governance, and institutional breakdown
• why resilience finance begins with “predevelopment”
• why many adaptation plans never reach implementation 
• the “FOMO problem” in climate adaptation 
   

For Educators & Students

This episode is especially useful for students and educators exploring climate adaptation, resilience finance, public policy, urban planning, infrastructure, environmental governance, and climate communication. Doug and Shalini unpack complex adaptation concepts in a highly accessible way while also challenging listeners to think critically about implementation, trust, and institutional capacity. The conversation also provides a valuable look into how adaptation professionals are increasingly thinking across disciplines—including finance, politics, communications, and systems thinking.

Who Should Listen to This Episode

• adaptation and resilience professionals
• urban planners and infrastructure leaders
• insurance and finance professionals
• government officials and policymakers
• climate communication specialists
• researchers, educators, and students
• anyone interested in the future of climate adaptation

Listen to episode 253 now >>