Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Tools and Guidance

The tools and resources presented here provide a sampling of general guidance reports and specific indices that have been developed to help individuals and organizations conduct climate change vulnerability assessments. These resources come from a variety of agencies and organizations, with a general focus on information related to fish, wildlife, and habitats.

Tools

• NatureServe: Climate Change Vulnerability Index
• U.S. Forest Service: A System for Assessing Vulnerability of Species (SAVS) to Climate Change
• Environmental Protection Agency: A Framework for Categorizing the Relative Vulnerability of Threatened and Endangered Species to Climate Change
• Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network: Climate change vulnerability of shorebird habitat

General Guidelines

• National Wildlife Federation: Scanning the Conservation Horizon: A Guide to Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment (PDF)
• Climate Impacts Group: Preparing for Climate Change: A Guidebook for Local, Regional and State Governments (PDF) (see Chapter 8: Conduct a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment)
• EcoAdapt: Climate Vulnerability Assessment Cheat Sheet (PDF)
• Towards an Integrated Framework for Assessing the Vulnerability of Species to Climate Change
• A Framework for Assessing the Vulnerability of Wetlands to Climate Change (PDF)
• A Planning Guide for State Coastal Managers: Chapter 4: Vulnerability Assessment (PDF)