Climate change adaptation planning: Facilitating action to address climate change adaptation needs in indigenous North America

Background: 

Climate change will have adverse impacts on all communities. Indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable to these changes, given their relationships with lands/waters and dependence on natural resources. To address this, indigenous, aboriginal, and tribal groups will require strong efforts to plan for and adapt to projected changes, yet adaptation planning has largely not occured.

Indigenous groups in North America have different ecosystems and cultural realities; however, all are stewards of their environments and given the opportunity, could learn from each other to develop plans and programs to build resiliency and long-term sustainability. 

At this forum people will discuss shared challenges and strategies to build resilience and adapt to climate change. The forum will be an interactive workshop where participants are key contributors. Participants will develop draft action plans that address their own situations and needs and outline key next steps. This forum will also provide people with networking opportunities and build on existing or create new communities of practice.

Goals

• Workshop: Build capacity of tribal and indigenous groups to build resilience in their communites and adapt to climate change
• Follow-Up: Transfer the knolwedge gained and lessons learned in workshop to other communities across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

Main activities

• Prepare for workshop, invite and confirm committed and experienced participants;
• Host workshop with 25-30 leaders to share experiences, join/establish communities of practice, INITIATE adaptation implementation plans
• Prepare and distribute results broadly via a final report and multimedia, including workshop materials for future events

Results

Increase applied knowledge among participants on strategies for community adaptation to climate change through group discussions and notes, individual implementation plans, new opportunities to continue sharing experiences and lessons learned through networks/communities of practice. Results shared broadly through a final written report and using multi-media (e.g. webinar/video). Workshop outlines available to others to host similar events on Indigenous adaptation to climate change.