Chapter 27, Northwest

Extreme heat, flooding, wildfires, and other climate hazards threaten human health, sense of place, ecosystems, infrastructure, and industries in the Northwest. Impacts across sectors will have cascading effects on livelihoods and well-being, with Tribes and other frontline communities facing disproportionate risks. Adaptation actions that prioritize social equity and utilize local and Indigenous Knowledge can support regional resilience.

- From Chapter 27

This page is in draft form and is currently being reviewed by project partners. For more information about the creation and review process, please see the landing page for the NCA5 Educator's Guide.

Jump to:

  1. Information on using this guide
  2. Educational resources and guiding questions for this region
  3. CLEAN curated pathways to action for the region
  4. NCA5 non-regional chapter connections

Key Messages for the Northwest:

National Climate Assessment Art X Climate selections

Artist's statement: Fire is a critical factor influencing the ecology of the northern Boreal Forest. Wildfires remove the duff and soil layers that insulate permafrost, and as the permafrost melts it releases methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This quilt depicts a flashback of burning spruce trees inset into bare ground and dead trees smoldering after a fire.


Artist's statement: My painting depicts the results of human impact on nature and has us question what is and will be. The work bridges the literal and the imaginative, informed by Northwest Indigenous art, as well as that of other traditions. One of the underlying principles of the work is to create pieces where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Often in the background I use written language for viewers to decipher and interpret. I am fascinated by how the mind searches to recognize the familiar.


Artist's Statement: This piece, 'A Vision of Fire,' was created with several layered and manipulated photographs, the key one being a photo of healthy forest in Oregon in 2018. By layering it over flame and dust-colored photos, a view of the potential fate of the forest was achieved. This work follows several years of drought and catastrophic fire in the Pacific Northwest. It also follows my career as a geography professor, where I focused on human-environment relations, climate change, and rurality. This work connects such academic views with imagination and emotion.


Educational resources and guiding questions aligned with the regional Key Messages:

Each Key Message features three guiding questions to help educators navigate these topics with students. Each guiding question includes example lessons and supporting videos. The lessons were taken from the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) educational resources database. The videos were selected from reputable sources to support the lessons.

Key Message One: Frontline Communities Are Overburdened, and Prioritizing Social Equity Advances Regional Resilience

Ongoing systemic oppression disproportionately exposes frontline communities in the Northwest—including low-income urban communities of color; rural and natural resource–dependent communities; and Tribes and Indigenous communities—to the consequences of extreme heat, flooding, and wildfire smoke and other climate hazards. Frontline communities often have fewer resources to cope with and adapt to climate change but have been leaders in developing climate solutions within and outside their communities. Actions to limit and adapt to climate change that prioritize climate justice and redirect investments to frontline communities can advance regional resilience. Find out more about this key messagehere.

Guiding question one: Why do indigenous populations in the Northwest region experience disproportionate climate impacts and what challenges do they face to achieve community resilience?

Guiding question two: In what ways have frontline communities demonstrated leadership in developing climate solutions within and beyond their own communities, and what factors contribute to their resilience and innovation?

Guiding question three: What is needed to ensure that climate adaptation and mitigation strategies include a focus on social equity?

Key Message Two: Ecosystems Are Transitioning in Response to Extreme Events and Human Activity

Ecosystems are expected to change as the climate continues to change and as the magnitude and frequency of extreme events increases. Some historical and ongoing human activities reduce ecosystem resilience and the adaptive capacity of species. These human activities are expected to exacerbate many effects of climate change. Human efforts to enable ecological adaptation founded in ecological theory are expected to improve ecosystem functions and services and reduce exposure to climate-related hazards. Find out more about this key message here.

Guiding question one: What are the primary types of ecosystems in the Northwest region and how does the region rely on each unique ecosystem?

Guiding question two: Why are salmon particularly vulnerable to stressors and what makes salmon populations important to preserve?

Guiding question three: What steps can be taken to increase the ability of ecosystems and species to adapt to climate change in the Northwest?

Key Message Three: Impacts to Regional Economies Have Cascading Effects on Livelihoods and Well-Being

Climate change impacts to the Northwest's natural resource- and outdoor-dependent economies will be variable, given the diversity of industries, land cover, and climatic zones. Impacts to these industries will have cascading effects on community livelihoods and well-being. While some industries and resource-dependent communities are resilient to climate-related stresses, economic responses to climate change can benefit affected industries, workers, and livelihoods. Find out more about this key message here.

Guiding question one: What is just transition and why are people and organizations in the Northwest region interested in adopting policies that support this type of transition?

Guiding question two: What specific climate change challenges are faced by agriculture industries in the Northwest?

Guiding question three: What are the economic impacts of climate change for tribal communities in the Northwest and how can tribes respond to these impacts?

Key Message Four: Infrastructure Systems Are Stressed by Climate Change but Can Enable Mitigation and Adaptation

Recent extreme events have stressed water systems and housing, transportation, and energy infrastructure across the Northwest. Extreme precipitation, droughts, and heatwaves will intensify due to climate change and continue to threaten these interrelated systems. Given the complexity of and interdependencies among infrastructure systems, an impact or a response within one sector can cascade to other sectors. Cross-sectoral planning, which can include redesigning aging infrastructure and incorporating climate considerations into land-use decisions, can increase resilience to future climate variability and extremes. Find out more about this key message here.

Guiding question one: Which groups are involved and which groups should be involved in infrastructure planning and development in your community?

Guiding question two: What steps are being taken in your state to reduce the carbon impact of transportation infrastructure?

Guiding question three: Why do urban and rural areas experience different types of climate change challenges when it comes to housing and land use?

Key Message Five: Climate Change Amplifies Health Inequities

The Northwest's climate has historically been temperate and relatively mild, but shifting weather patterns associated with climate change are adversely affecting physical, mental, and community health. The incidence of illnesses and death during extreme heat events and wildfire smoke days is increasing, and climate change is stressing health systems. Climate-related health risks disproportionately affect certain individuals and groups. Climate resilience efforts can be leveraged to improve health, especially among the most vulnerable populations. Find out more about this key message here.

Guiding question one: What efforts are being made in your region to support health services in responding to the increase in climate-related extreme events?

Guiding question two: How can community resilience measures reduce the impacts of extreme heat?

Guiding question three: Why are certain populations more impacted by mental health issues related to climate change?

 

Key Message Six: Climate Change Affects Heritage and Sense of Place

Climate change has disrupted sense of place in the Northwest, affecting noneconomic values such as proximity and access to nature and residents' feelings of security and stability. Place-based communities, including Tribes, face additional challenges from climate change because of cultural and economic relationships with their locale. Leveraging local or Indigenous Knowledge and value systems can spur climate action to ensure that local heritage and sense of place persist for future generations. Find out more about this key message here.

Guiding question one: How do climate related disruptions to supply chains and food systems affect peoples' sense of security and stability in the Northwest?

Guiding question two: Which natural features and connections define a sense of place for your community and how might climate change impact those elements of community?

Guiding question three: How does people moving to the wildland-urban interface (WUI) complicate climate risks and impacts in the Northwest?

Pathways to action for the Northwest*

*These selections were curated by CLEAN

The following actions and case studies highlight ideas for climate change adaptation and mitigation at multiple scales and are meant to support and inspire students and educators to take steps that address the challenges outlined in this chapter.

Action 1: Incorporating Indigenous Peoples' Knowledge

Action 2: Improving Infrastructure Resilience

Action 3: Coastal Wetland Restoration

Action 4: Improved Fisheries

Looking for more ideas for climate change actions? Explore the National Climate Assessment chapters on adaptation (chapter 31) and mitigation (chapter 32).

National Climate Assessment Northwest Chapter Connections:

The national climate assessment includes multiple chapters on climate change-specific topics. The chapters and key messages offer ways to further engage with the NCA and find out more information related to the region.

 

Disclaimer: The National Climate Assessment regional resources for educators is written, edited, and moderated by each regional team of contributors. Posts reflect the views of the regional team themselves and not necessarily Climate.gov, NOAA and USGCRP.