Climate Training for Native Tribes of Louisiana and New Mexico

Tribal nations are one of the most vulnerable populations to climate change in the United States, because of their reliance upon the natural environment to sustain traditional ways of life and current lack of training and resources to respond to climate change impacts. This project sought to increase south-central U.S. tribes’ basic knowledge of climate science, connect them with tools to assess their communities’ vulnerabilities, and build their skills to develop adaptation and mitigation strategies. Researchers conducted multiple two-day climate training sessions for Native American tribes in Louisiana and New Mexico. The trainings emphasized regionally specific scientific and social scientific aspects of climate change that are relevant to the tribal nations’ land management and planning decisions. By participating in these training sessions, participants were expected to gain knowledge that will help them better manage their resources in the context of a changing climate.