A Tribal Planning Framework: Climate Change Adaptation Strategies by Sector

This Framework is designed to support American Indian and Alaska Native tribes in developing tribal climate change adaptation plans, or incorporating climate change adaptation strategies into existing tribal plans and initiatives, such as strategic plans or natural resource management plans. The report discusses climate impacts and adaptation strategies for the sectors of Natural and Cultural Resources, Building Standards, Housing, Infrastructure, Energy, Health, Telecommunications, Economic Development, Emergency Response, and Climate Law. Links to additional resources are provided, including sector-specific guides, programs, and tools that support adaptation planning.

Develop a list of sector-based questions and considerations to incorporate into your tribe's climate adaptation planning process. 

The Framework contains sections on several types of natural resources, including forestry, fisheries and wildlife, water resources, agriculture and rangeland. It also includes a section addressing the need to protect cultural resources such as sacred sites and traditional food sources. For each of these, the guide describes:

  • What the resource or sector is and why it is important to tribes
  • Climate projections and implications to that topic area
  • A description of what tribes can do to prepare
  • References, with links to primary resources

For example, in the Forestry section it is noted that there are over 18 million acres of tribal forests that will be impacted by changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. Among other recommendations, one suggests that tribes can prepare by carrying out periodic forest assessments and developing adaptive forest management plans.

The additional sector pages (i.e. Infrastructure, Energy, Health, Telecommunications, Economic Development, Emergency Response, and Climate Law) similarly provide a narrative describing the expected climate implications. These sections also include several questions and related resources that tribes may consider when designing their climate adaptation plans.



Publication Date: April 2013

Author or Affiliated User:

  • Kathy Lynn

Related Organizations:

  • University of Oregon

Sectors:

Resource Category:

Resource Types:

  • Planning guides

Impacts:

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