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Climate Vulnerability Assessments

This page is dedicated to assisting you with a how-to guide to training communities on climate vulnerability and assessments. The training is based off a real world situation and details each step of the process. A combination of documentation and videos are used to assist in this type of training. If you have any questions, feel free to email us: info@southcentralclimate.org.


The video below is the first part of the training tools available for climate vulnerability assessments. The menu in the upper right corner of the video correlates with different units and training materials. To access these videos, click on the menu in the upper right corner for the drop-down menu to see all training videos. Or click here to open the entire playlist.

Recorded Video Training Series
See additional materials and speaker slides below

UNIT 1: Overview of a Vulnerability Assessment

Workshop Agenda

Use this as an example of how to set up a vulnerability assessment (VA) workshop.

Pre Workshop Material

This is a guide to creating a climate change vulnerability assessment.

Vulnerability Assessment Overview (Slides)

Use these for note taking or the foundation of your own presentation.


UNIT 2: Components of a Vulnerability Assessment

Landscape Conservation Cooperatives & CASC’s (Slides)

Overview of the Climate Adaptation Science Centers.

Scopes & Objectives (Slides)

How to formulate concrete objectives and goals.

Adaptive Capacity (Slides)

This describes methods on how to identify an area’s ability to adapt to a changing climate.

Using VA to Inform Agency Decisions

Rapid eco-regional assessments and the opportunities for development, restoration and conservation.

Assessing Exposure (Slides)

An assessment on how much of a change in climate a particular area is likely to experience.

Issues of Time Scales (Slides)

This takes a look at the timeline and the bigger picture of developing an assessment.

Elements of a VA: Sensitivity (Slides)

An overview on species and land sensitivities with a changing climate.


UNIT 3 — Part 1: Approaches to a Vulnerability Assessment

Uncertainty (Slides)

These slides concentrate on tools to overcome uncertainty and putting uncertainty in context.

Ecological Response Models Overview

A breakdown of addressing reasons behind modeling and its benefits.

Engaging Stakeholders/Expert Elicitation & Scenario Planning

Tools for decision making & planning.

Species Indices (Slides)

This explains and addresses climate vulnerability for a variety of species.


UNIT 3 — Part 2: Tools Selection for a Vulnerability Assessment

Tools Selection (Slides)

Information on the type of tools to choose when dealing with vulnerability assessments.

Climate Change Adaptation Planning Matrix

Tools for climate change adaptation planning.