Along Alaska’s western coastline, 400 miles from the nearest road system, villagers from the Indigenous community of Newtok were scheduled for permanent evacuation in mid-October due to the irreversible threat of rising seas. The story, recounted by Newtok resident Della Carl in September at the National Indigenous Climate Conference in Anchorage, Alaska, embedded itself deep in the hearts and minds of each member of the audience, making it clear not just that sea level rise is happening, but why it matters. Such is the power of a well-told story.
DRI Scientists Create Guidance to Help Emergency Managers Prepare for Weather Hazards of the Future
DRI scientists partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey to produce a guidance document for incorporating publicly available data on historical and projected extreme weather events to aid with emergency planning exercises. The report, funded by the California Department of Water Resources, is available on DRI’s website.
Growing numbers of Native American households in Nevada face plumbing poverty, water quality problems
A growing number of Native American households in Nevada have no access to indoor plumbing, a condition known as “plumbing poverty,” according to a new study.
New USDA Grant to Support Climate Resilience Planning in Indian Country
A new USDA grant will fund the “Native Climate” project, which will build relationships and narrow the climate justice gap in Native American communities of the Intermountain West.
From COVID-19 to Drought: Collaborating on Emerging Challenges Across Indian Country
The Native Waters on Arid Lands project’s COVID-19 Working Group is a network of partners working together to solve problems and share information across Indian Country.
New USDA Grant Will Fund COVID-19 Rapid Response Toolkit for Tribal Extension Agents
Reno, Nev. (July 23, 2020) – Several members of the Native Waters on Arid Lands (NWAL) project team, led by Maureen McCarthy, Ph.D., of the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Reno, have been awarded a $300k grant from the US Department of Agriculture National...
New USDA grant to support Diné (Navajo) and Hopi Teachers in Placed-Based STEM curriculum
Meghan Collins received a $100k grant from to develop a STEM curriculum with the Diné (Navajo) and Hopi communities.
Science of Place: DRI researchers and teachers develop localized science lessons for Native American classrooms
Climate change, in the abstract, can be a difficult phenomenon to comprehend – but on the ground, youth from Native American reservations in Arizona are already experiencing everyday impacts in the form of droughts and warming temperatures. To help Arizona teachers...
Native Waters on Arid Lands project holds DRI Youth Day and Tribal Summit
On a Monday morning in mid-October, several small groups of students from Pyramid Lake Junior/Senior High School gathered around tables inside of a conference room at the Desert Research Institute in Reno, sketching ideas, visions, and plans of what they want life on...