09/24/2026
During Climate Week NYC, Manhattan Jamatkhana became a space for dialogue around a shared global challenge: how can communities adapt to a changing climate while protecting the people, places, and ecosystems that sustain them?
Together, Aga Khan Foundation USA, Waterfront Alliance, and Open House New York brought leaders from government, philanthropy, academia, the private sector, and civil society together for Resilience Without Borders: Community-Led Coastal Adaptation in a Changing Climate.
From New York City’s Jamaica Bay and Rockaway communities to coastal regions across the Indian Ocean, the conversation highlighted the importance of locally led solutions, healthy ecosystems, and partnerships that help communities adapt and thrive.
The gathering also featured young Ismaili artists, ages 8 to 16, who spent the summer exploring climate change through art. Their work reflected melting icebergs, coral reef bleaching, greenhouse gas emissions, changing marine life, and the future of our planet.
Their perspectives reminded us that climate change is not only about the world we live in today, but the world we leave for generations to come.
This commitment to caring for our environment reflects Mawlana Hazar Imam’s longstanding emphasis on responsible stewardship of the natural world.
Through dialogue, creativity, and collaboration, the evening brought generations together around a shared responsibility: building communities prepared to withstand change, adapt, and thrive.
PC: Marianne Rammal
