Toward a shared vision for climate‐informed resource stewardship
| Authors: | Brian W Miller, Gregor W Schuurman, Wylie Carr, David J Lawrence, Lindsey L Thurman, Aparna Bamzai-Dodson, Leslie Brandt, Shelley D Crausbay, Molly S Cross, Mitchell J Eaton, Maria Janowiak, D Todd Jones-Farrand, Julian Reyes |
| Year: | 2025 |
| Type: | Scientific Journal |
| Station: | Northern Research Station |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.70005 |
| Source: | Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment |
Abstract
Climate-change adaptation planning processes and tools are increasing in number and evolving rapidly. During times of innovation and proliferation, a potential danger is incoherence, when well-intended contributions can overwhelm, create confusion, or mask complementarities. A shared vision is needed to avoid duplication, reduce misunderstandings, and facilitate work across jurisdictions to steward resources undergoing profound changes. Such a vision would document fundamental tools and approaches while allowing flexibility to match highly varied management contexts and organizational missions. Fortunately, the preconditions for coherence exist. Here, we illustrate how climate-change adaptation tools—including scenario planning, conceptual frameworks, structured decision making, and impact-evaluation methods—can be (and are) used in tandem to support adaptation planning that accounts for uncertainty, considers a broad range of strategies and actions, makes transparent and robust choices, evaluates outcomes, and is flexible and responsive to the decision context.
In a nutshell: • Climate-change adaptation planning tools have proliferated in recent years, as have processes that integrate those tools into planning • However, with the rapid proliferation of processes and tools has come confusion about how they relate to one another and whether or how they can be used in complementary ways • We demonstrate the similarities of different adaptation planning approaches, offer a generalized process for climate-informed resource-stewardship planning, and clarify how several tools relate to and enhance the process • Shared understanding of how these processes and tools relate to one another supports clear communication, efficient coordination, and, ultimately, cross-jurisdictional collaboration in adaptation