Resilience Planning Resources: Step 2 – Assess Past and Future Trends
See the Practical Guide to Building Climate Resilience for more information about each Step and Task.
Task 1 – Gather Information About Historical Climate Trends and Future Projections
General Resources
- CalAdapt provides a view of how climate change might affect California. It includes tools, data, and resources to conduct research, develop adaptation plans and build applications
- Climate Central surveys and conducts scientific research on climate change and informs the public of key findings. Their scientists publish and their journalists report on climate science, energy, sea level rise.
- Climate Watch is a program of the World Resources Institute. Climate Watch offers open data visualizations and analysis to help policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders gather insights on countries’ climate progress.
- Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy is the world’s largest movement for local climate and energy actions, covering over 7,000 local and regional authorities over 57 countries. Participating communities are required to track and report progress on both reducing greenhouse gases (mitigation) and preparing for climate change impacts (adaptation).
- National Climate Assessment summarizes the impacts of climate change on the United States, now and in the future. A team of more than 300 experts guided by a 60-member Federal Advisory Committee produced the report, which was extensively reviewed by the public and experts, including federal agencies and a panel of the National Academy of Sciences.
- Scenarios Network for Alaska and Arctic Planning (SNAP; University of Alaska at Fairbanks) provides data, tools, expertise, and collaboration opportunities to develop and communicate scenarios of potential conditions in an evolving climate.
- Sea Level Rise Viewer (NOAA) provides information and visual data on coastal flooding, erosion, infrastructure vulnerability, and other variables, for the entire contiguous U.S. coastline.
- Union of Concerned Scientists is a network of over 20,000 scientists and technical experts advancing science-based solutions for a healthy planet and safer world.
- U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit (USGS and other agencies) allows users to explore maps and graphs of historical and projected climate trends for any county in the contiguous United States. View data by topics to see how climate change will impact things you care about.
- U.S. Climate Adaptation Science Centers (US Geological Survey) are located in eight regions throughout the United States: Alaska, Paci c Islands, Northwest, Southwest, North Central, South Central, Northeast, and Southeast.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
- Traditional Ecological Knowledge Handbook: A training manual and reference guide for designing, conducting, and participating in research projects using traditional ecological knowledge. Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Subsistence.
- Guidelines for Considering Traditional Knowledges in Climate Change Initiatives. Climate and Traditional Knowledges Workgroup.
Resources for those with Technical Training
- ClimateNA (University of Alberta) provides baseline and future climate projections data for all of North America. These are raw data les for those with GIS and data processing capabilities. They are also available on DataBasin, hosted by the Conservation Biology Institute.
- MC 1&2 Dynamic Vegetation Model on DataBasin has output describing the future distribution of dominant types of vegetation across the U.S. The model simulates the dynamics of lifeforms rather than species, (including evergreen and deciduous needleleaf and broadleaf trees and shrubs, C3 and C4 herbaceous grasses, forbs and sedges) as they respond to both climate change and increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration.
- Template for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Management Options (TACCIMO) – (USDA Forest Service) is a web-based information delivery tool that connects climate change science with forest management and planning needs. It is currently expanding to include information on agriculture, rangeland, and livestock planning as well. Science content in TACCIMO consists of ndings (text quotations and gures) from peer-reviewed climate change literature.
- NOAA Atlas 14 Precipitation Frequency Estimates provide historical information on probable maximum precipitation for certain parts of the U.S. This information can be useful as a baseline to use in conjunction with model projections that provide information on likely percent change from historic.
Task 2 – Create a Climate Trends Primer
General Resources
- U.S. National Climate Assessment – State level climate trends reports are available for many states. Below are a few examples, but see our online resources for a current list.
- Sample climate trends primers can offer ideas for your Climate Trend Primer
Tribal Resources and Traditional Ecological Knowledge
- Northern Arizona University’s Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
- University of Oregon’s Tribal Climate Change Project
Task 3 – Create a Community Primer
Socioeconomic Resources
- CalEnviroScreen identifies California communities by census tract that are disproportionately burdened by, and vulnerable to, multiple sources of pollution
- Center for Disease Control’s Climate Ready States and Cities Initiative offers climate adaptation planning efforts from a public health perspective.
- CDC’s Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE) Framework is a five-step process that allows health officials to develop strategies and programs to help communities prepare for the health effects of climate change.
- Headwaters Economics’ Economic Profile System (EPS) allows you to download socioeconomic reports of communities, counties, and states, including aggregations and comparisons. EPS uses federal data sources, including the Bureaus of Economic Analysis, Census, and others. It is also known as the Human Dimensions Toolkit by the Forest Service.
- Union of Concerned Scientists is a network of over 20,000 scientists and technical experts advancing science-based solutions for a healthy planet and safer world.
Natural Systems Resources
- National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy is a unified nationwide effort—reflecting shared principles and science-based practices—for addressing the threats of a changing climate on fish, wildlife, plants, and the natural systems upon which they depend.
- National Wildlife Federation’s ClimateSmart Conservation guide
- Sea Level Rise Viewer (NOAA) provides information and visual data on coastal flooding, erosion, infrastructure vulnerability, and other variables, for the entire contiguous U.S. coastline.
- State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) are the result of Congress requiring each state wildlife agency to develop a “comprehensive wildlife conservation strategy”—a wildlife action plan— that evaluates wildlife conservation needs and outlines the necessary action steps. These are continually being updated to include climate change risks to wildlife.
- Template for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Management Options (TACCIMO) – (USDA Forest Service) is a web-based information delivery tool that connects climate change science with forest management and planning needs. It is currently expanding to include information on agriculture, rangeland, and livestock planning as well. Science content in TACCIMO consists of ndings (text quotations and gures) from peer-reviewed climate change literature.
- U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit (USGS and other agencies) allows users to explore maps and graphs of historical and projected climate trends for any county in the contiguous United States. View data by topics to see how climate change will impact things you care about.