Abstract

Native Americans in the Southwest United States are thought to be particularly vulnerable to climate change. Tribal resiliency to climate change can be affected by multiple climate-related threats and by tribal communities’ close reliance on natural resources for sustenance, economic development, and maintenance of cultural traditions. A scientifically rigorous assessment of such threats to Native Americans is a pressing need across southwestern landscapes. This project will examine factors affecting Native American tribes, including water rights for fish and wildlife, protection of wetlands, and enhancement and recovery of the Pyramid Lake, Nevada fishery, and protection of important fish species. This project aims to help manage potential conflicts among stakeholders by providing a better understanding of system dynamics and climate projections in the region. This project will also identify and test best practices in collaborating with and delivering climate science to Native American tribes within the Southwest Climate Science Center’s region.