Interior Department Releases Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan

Date: Thusday, October 7, 2021
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

WASHINGTON — Today, as part of President Biden’s whole-of-government approach to confronting the climate crisis, the Department of the Interior released its climate adaptation and resilience plan, which outlines how the Department will use science as the foundation for planning and decision-making related to climate change risks, impacts and vulnerabilities.

"The Interior Department is committed to meeting the Biden-Harris administration's ambitious climate and infrastructure goals,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “As the climate crisis disproportionately affects underserved communities, Interior will center environmental justice, build resilient communities and invest in a clean energy future that can create millions of good-paying union jobs, while protecting the communities, natural and cultural resources on which Americans rely.”

The Department and its bureaus face a multitude of risks caused by climate change, including rising costs to maintain and repair damaged infrastructure from more frequent and extreme weather events, reduced program effectiveness and health and safety challenges to federal employees. Taking climate risk management actions now will mitigate disruptions to federal operations, assets and programs, and will create safer worker conditions.

As part of these efforts, the Department’s Plan outlines how it will embed adaptation and resilience planning and implementation throughout its operations and programs. The Plan commits the Department to the following major categories of adaptation actions:

1. Promoting Climate-Resilient Lands, Waters and Cultural Resources;
2. Advancing Climate Equity;
3. Transitioning to a Resilient Clean Energy Economy;
4. Supporting Tribal and Insular Community Resilience;
5. Empowering the Next Generation of Conservation and Resilience Workers;
6. Enhancing Climate Literacy; and
7. Bolstering Climate Resilience in the Management of Sites, Facilities and Supply of Products and Services.

The Plan also identifies the institutional approaches the Department will use to tackle the climate crisis, as well as climate-related vulnerabilities to the Department's mission, and strategies to secure climate-ready sites, facilities, products and services. The Department will undertake all of its planning and preparations by engaging with federal agencies, Tribes, Insular areas, Native Hawaiian people, states, local communities and other public and private partners, domestically and abroad.

Today’s actions supplement President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, which include bold, historic and transformational investments to strengthen our nation’s resilience to climate change and extreme weather events.

More information about Interior’s work is available on our addressing the climate crisis webpage.

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