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The University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group (CIG) promotes climate resilience in the American northwest by providing research and tools to at-risk communities, including tribes. The CIG emphasizes transparency regarding scientific uncertainty to aid decision-making and employs a trans-boundary approach to environmental issues, collaborating with partners in Canada. While the network of eight regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs) provides critical local expertise and technical advice, the demand for these services currently exceeds available resources.

This research paper, prepared by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) for the 2010 World Resources Report, argues that existing government practices can be harnessed to manage the risks and uncertainties of climate change. The authors propose a framework of seven adaptive policy-making practices divided into 'planned adaptability' and 'autonomous adaptability' to help policy-makers navigate complex, unpredictable socio-economic and ecological systems.