Tribal Resources for Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments

Tribes have been actively engaged in efforts to anticipate and respond to climate impacts on their natural and cultural resources. And yet, some tribes have faced difficulties initiating and completing the critical first step of the climate adaptation planning process: an assessment of locally-specific climate risks that accounts for the unique priorities, values, and concerns of individual tribes. The Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center has supported the creation of a suite of resources designed to enhance the capacity of Northwest and Great Basin tribes for completing vulnerability assessments to inform climate adaptation planning. These resources, developed in close partnership with tribal partners, include a Tribal Vulnerability Assessment Resources website designed to orient tribal staff and community members to the range of approaches and resources available for completing vulnerability assessments; an online Tribal Climate Tool that provides interactive maps, graphs, and reports summarizing projected changes in climate, and tailored to the unique geographies and impacts of concern to Northwest and Great Basin tribes; and a Tribal Climate Technical Support Desk that supports tribal staff through the vulnerability assessment process by providing rapid response to queries. View this webinar to learn more about these products as well as the collaborative process employed to ensure they would be useful and used by tribes.