Who will act for climate resilience? Predictors of community engagement and gaps in climate-related action

Community engagement is central to building climate resilience, yet participation varies across social groups and places. In this study we examined predictors of willingness to engage in community-level climate resilience activities in Israel, emphasizing gaps across ethnic and residential contexts. Data were drawn from a national survey of adults (n = 1,492) with hyper-representation of vulnerable populations. We used Poisson regression models to assess associations with risk perception, pro-environmental orientation, experienced climate hazards and impacts, adaptive capacity, and community resilience, and tested interactions by ethnic affiliation and residence type. Pro-environmental orientation emerged as the strongest predictor of engagement, followed by risk perception and personal experience of climate impacts. Community resilience and adaptive capacity showed no significant associations. Marked contextual differences were observed: Muslims, Druze, and residents of Arab towns and villages reported higher engagement intentions than Jewish respondents and residents of Jewish or mixed cities. However, motivational pathways differed: Among Muslim residents of Arab villages, engagement was less dependent on risk perception and pro-environmental attitudes. These results indicate that collective climate engagement is shaped not only by individual attitudes but also by sociopolitical position and place-based vulnerabilities. Addressing these different pathways is critical for designing equity-oriented climate resilience initiatives that do not inadvertently reproduce existing social and spatial inequalities. Tailored, group-specific strategies are needed to enhance participation and strengthen collective resilience in the context of climate change. Practical implications for climate resilience policy are discussed.