Integrating Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation in a Conservation Planning Approach
Presentation on Integrating Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation in a Conservation Planning Approach by Patrick Crist and Ian Varley of NatureServe (July 13, 2011). This webinar gives an overview of an approach and toolkit to help natural resource managers and conservationists assess the vulnerability of resources and infrastructure from a variety of stressors including climate change and develop adaptation alternatives for landscape scale planning. The approach is comprised of six steps ranging from initial project scoping to scenario visioning and assessment to development of strategies and alternatives and integrates established concepts from vulnerability and cumulative effects assessment, the mitigation hierarchy, and systematic conservation planning. All steps in the approach are supported by a decision support toolkit, and the process is intended to be carried out by natural resource planners and managers and GIS staff, consultants, partners, or any combination of these. The approach and toolkit are adapted from NatureServe’s work on a land-sea decision support toolkit and the Refuge Vulnerability Assessment process developed in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Learn more about the land-sea decision support toolkit at www.ebmtoolsdatabase.org/resource/integrated-land-sea-planning-technical-guide-integrated-land-sea-planning-toolkit and read about the original Refuge Vulnerability Assessment process at http://ebmtoolsdatabase.org/resource/refuge-vulnerability-assessment-process-factsheet. A final handbook on the approach and toolkit including pilot case studies will be available in Fall 2011.