Natural resource managers planning for increased incidence of droughts, floods, and other climate change impacts in the North Central region are in charge of management strategies that can impact the well-being of rural communities in the region. Gaining a better understanding of how resource management decisions may impact rural communities can allow for better consideration of the costs and benefits of resource management decisions. Identifying these impacts is especially important as these communities are often already unfairly disadvantaged and more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
This project will focus on exploring the ways in which natural resource management decisions affect rural and tribal communities by identifying what communities are most vulnerable to climate change impacts and their connection to natural resource management decisions. The project will also examine how impacts to rural communities are currently taken into account when resource managers develop management plans and explore ways in which such impacts might be better represented in future decision-making processes. This research is intended to forge stronger connections between the North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, resource managers, and rural communities, laying a foundation for future partnerships and collaborations to promote healthy ecosystems and communities in the face of climate change.
