Defenders of Wildlife is working with wildlife and natural resource managers to develop climate change strategies to incorporate into their conservation plans. These strategies should be based on assessments of the specific threats that wildlife and ecosystems are expected to face—such as sea level rise, higher temperatures, more frequent storms and droughts—and should include monitoring to provide ongoing information about impacts on the ground.

Determining which species are most affected by climate change helps us set goals, determine management priorities and design appropriate adaptation strategies. Vulnerability assessments are an important component of climate adaptation planning, which focuses on finding ways to help wildlife and habitats respond to the effects of climate change—for example by identifying and protecting travel corridors to allow species to shift their ranges in response to the changing climate.

Defenders’ Climate Adaptation Projects

Wildlife Vulnerability to Climate Change [1] (PDF)