The Coalition for a Resilient and Inclusive Waterfront, made up of 40 city-wide nonprofits, including several Dorchester-based groups, is hoping to improve public access to the city’s waterfront, including Boston’s rivers and harbor islands, during the 2021 elections.

The coalition was launched Tuesday and announced that it would host a mayoral forum at the New England Aquarium on Thurs., July 29.

The Dorchester-based groups included Fields Corner Main Streets, Neponset River Watershed, and the Port Norfolk Civic Association.

“The future leaders of our city will face off with an escalating climate crisis that presents significant challenges to the health and safety of communities that live, work, and play on our waterfront,” New England Aquarium President Vikki Spruill said in a statement.

“We are hopeful that this coalition will help us spotlight these urgent issues at a key inflection point in Boston’s history.”

Said John Walkey, Waterfront Initiative Coordinator at GreenRoots, a Chelsea-based public health and environmental protection organization:
“It is critical that we are taking the appropriate measures to ensure that our waterfront is not only prepared for coming coastal impacts from climate change, but that it also remains accessible to and a benefit for the communities that live near them.”