Partnering to Enhance Tribal Community Preparedness in a Changing Climate

Dr. Martha Shulski and Hank Miller present "Partnering to Enhance Tribal Community Preparedness in a Changing Climate" as part of the Nebraska Water Center's 2021 Spring Seminar Series. Shulski is the director of the Nebraska State Climate Office and a professor at UNL and Miller is the math and science department head at Nebraska Indian Community College.

As changing climate and environmental disturbances are becoming more frequent and less predictable, it is important that we make sure accurate and useful information is available to our underrepresented Tribal communities. With major floods in 2011and 2019, along with a drought in 2012, our Tribal communities have had to overcome major challenges with limited resources. These events have significant implications on our tribal economy, community health and the ecology of our Tribal lands. This research seeks to expand on existing environmental monitoring research and increase its applications to ensure useful information is available for the Tribes to make informed decisions and prepare for new environmental norms. Funding from the USDA was obtained to establish a collaborative research program with the Nebraska State Climate Office to strengthen research programming at Nebraska Indian Community College (NICC) for the benefit of faculty, students and the local community. This will be achieved through an understanding of local historical weather patterns, increasing collaboration between NICC and UNL, and enhancing research capacity for NICC faculty, staff and students. Improved research capabilities will lead to better preparation of the student workforce for community development. This will aid in tribal agency management decisions, reduce risk and enhance preparedness associated with environmental issues and extreme weather events.