Regional

Adjusting to rapid melting

Nuiqsut is a traditional Inupiat community located in Alaska's North Slope region on the west bank of the Colville River, 18 miles south from the inlet to the Beaufort Sea. The surrounding landscape is largely flat and treeless, covered with tundra vegetation and dotted with hundreds of lakes. Nuiqsut residents recall the lessons of their elders, who spoke of a time to come that would bring warming and hardship.

Harmful algal blooms—exacerbated by warming ocean temperatures

Climate change poses a challenge to the Seven Generations philosophy

Recognizing risks and opportunities

Stressors and impacts

Indigenous communities of the Pacific Northwest have a saying: “When the tide is out, the table is set.” Salmon, crab, clams, and other species that use nearshore habitats—areas of the beach extending from the shoreline to the low water zone—are important as a food source for these tribal communities, but they are equally important culturally. These “first foods” are part of an extensive network of values, beliefs, and practices integral to the success of ceremonies, gatherings, education, and traditional sharing and reciprocity networks.

Contending with higher temperatures, lower precipitation, and ecological shifts

More heat, less water

The Native Navajo people of the southwestern United States are facing an increasingly dry climate. In a region that receives an average of only six inches of precipitation per year, average warming of just two degrees Fahrenheit can significantly increase evaporation and loss of water through plants, reducing available moisture by a third. Alone, this drying process has the potential to fundamentally alter local ecosystems. When combined with a decrease in winter snowfall that feeds year-round streams, the impacts of drying can multiply.

Climate stressors and impacts

Climate change is exacerbating the major factors that lead to wildfire: heat, drought, and dead trees. The West is particularly vulnerable to such fires. Between 1970 and 2003, warmer and drier conditions increased burned area in western U.S. mid-elevation conifer forests by 650 percent.

Gambling with limited resources

For a regional conservation partnership with limited financial resources, investments in land and easements can be a big gamble.

Stressors and impacts