The National Wildlife Federation released a report this week detailing its findings that tribes are more adversely affected by climate change than other groups.
The findings from “Indian Tribes, Climate-Induced Weather Extremes, and the Future for Indian Country” cite a heavy tribal dependence on natural resources as the cause of the more severe impact, a NWF press release said.
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Because Tribes are heavily dependent on natural resources, severe weather events like droughts, floods, wildfires, and snowstorms make tribal communities particularly vulnerable and impact American Indians and Alaska Natives more than they impact the general population.
As temperatures rise, the report found, the chance of natural disasters and prolonged negative climate occurrences increases hardships for Native people.
The reports lists several specific threats:
- Extreme droughts weaken trees’ ability to resist pests and to curb erosion and siltation. On the nation’s 326 reservations, there are approximately 18.6 million forested acres. Droughts also lower water levels and impair agricultural productivity.
- Water scarcity in the West further complicates Tribes’ unresolved water rights claims.
For more information, visit the National Wildlife Federation’s website.
Jenna Cederberg
Tags: and the Future for Indian Country., Climate-Induced Weather Extremes, Indian Tribes, National Wildlife Federation, natural resources, snowstorms, wildfires