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Decision Making Guides: Climate Change Adaptation

The following resources have been compiled for natural resource managers, scientists, and students in the fields of natural resource management, ecology, and conservation biology, who are confronted with complex and difficult decision making problems related to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Below are some books, reports, and online tools to guide the process.

Books

Informing Decisions in a Changing Climate (2009) – National Research Council

Examines the growing need for climate-related decision support–that is, organized efforts to produce, disseminate, and facilitate the use of data and information in order to improve the quality and efficacy of climate-related decisions.

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Structured Decision Making – Gregory

This book outlines the creative process of making environmental management decisions using the approach called Structured Decision Making. It is a short introductory guide to this popular form of decision making and is aimed at environmental managers and scientists.

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Decision Making in Natural Resource Management: A Structured, Adaptive Approach – Conroy & Peterson

This book takes readers through the process of developing a structured approach to decision making, by firstly deconstructing decisions into component parts, which are each fully analyzed and then reassembled to form a working decision model.

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Reports

Climate Adaptation For DoD Natural Resource Managers – U.S. Department of Defense

This adaptation guide was designed to help DoD installation managers prepare for and reduce climate-related vulnerabilities and risks. The guide provides an overview of how climatic changes may impact military lands and resources, and offers a structured process for incorporating climate considerations into Integrated Natural Resource Management Plans (INRMP), legally required planning documents that outline how each installation will conserve and manage its natural resources.

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The science of decisionmaking: Applications for sustainable forest and grassland management in the National Forest System – USFS

In light of current and emerging challenges and the need for science delivery to keep pace with advancements in decision science and risk management, now is a good time to refocus on supporting and enhancing natural resource management decisionmaking. This guide provides managers with useful concepts and tools to address risks, stressors, and challenges and to achieve desirable outcomes.

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Global Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States National Climate Assessment – NOAA

This report provides a synthesis of the scientific literature on global SLR at the request of a federal advisory committee charged with developing the next National Climate Assessment. This report also provides a set of four global mean SLR scenarios to describe future conditions for the purpose of assessing potential vulnerabilities and impacts.

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Online Guides & Tools

Adaptation Checklist for Climate Smart Projects

A Tool for Natural Resource Agencies. While this tool is most easily used in evaluating a place-based project, it can be used to assess the climate savviness of many types of actions as well as policies.

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Beyond the Basics – Inter-institutional

This is a website that guides community planners through a series of nine modules to develop a hazard mitigation plan. The website also includes a suite of tools and best practice examples aimed at helping users create better plans.

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Designing Sustainable Landscapes – NCSU

The result of a collaborative effort to develop a consistent methodology and to enhance the capacity of states, joint ventures and other partners to formulate conservation design schemes at landscape levels to sustain bird populations and other wildlife in the Eastern United States.

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Climate Resilience Evaluation & Awareness Tool (CREAT) – EPA

CREAT allows users to evaluate potential impacts of climate change on their utility and to evaluate adaptation options to address these impacts using both traditional risk assessment and scenario-based decision making.

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Florida Adaptation Planning Guidebook – Florida Department of Environmental Protection

This manual was created to support local Florida communities in implementing adaptation strategies to manage the effects of sea level rise. However, the manual was designed to be applied in various adaptation contexts, making it relevant to a broader audience of resource management professionals.

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Gulf TREE – Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative

This interactive decision-support tree helps users select the right climate tool to increase resiliency. It was designed in conjunction with stakeholders such as natural resource managers and community planners to allow them to better incorporate climate resiliency into their projects.

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Sea Level Rise – Tips for Adaptation Planning – Sarasota Bay Estuary Program & Mote Marine Lab

The focus is on adaptation for the impacts of sea level rise so that critical human systems (such as communities, economies, and culture) and natural systems (including wetlands, coastal ecosystems and fisheries) can continue to function effectively and be resilient in the face of climate change.

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Riparian Restoration Decision Support Tool – Appalachian LCC

Identifies vulnerable stream and riverbanks that lack tree cover and shade in coldwater stream habitats.

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The Economic Risks of Climate Change in the United States – Inter-institutional

Focuses on quantifying and publicizing the economic risks from the impacts of a changing climate.

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U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit – NOAA and Partners

The Climate Resilience Toolkit provides resources and a framework for understanding and addressing the climate issues that impact people and their communities.

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