Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1696591245136.pdf (United States)
Integrating Climate Adaptation into the Department to strengthen mission operations and infrastructure DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Climate Action Plan September 2021 STATEMENT FROM THE SECRETARY Our world, Nation, and Department are facing a climate crisis.

We are already experiencing the adverse impacts, from sea-level rise, extreme heat, flooding, and drought, to changes in migration patterns and harmful effects on workforce health.
These impacts are likely to become more severe in the decades to come.

Our Department must harness our capabilities and resources to address the impacts of climate change to keep our communities safe.

In response to Section 211 of Executive Order (EO) 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad (January 27, 2021), I am honored to present the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Climate Action Plan.
This plan outlines how we will remain mission-resilient to climate change while reducing our own impact on the environment.

Importantly, it also highlights several initiatives and reforms designed to help make our Nation far more resilient in the face of climate-related risks, such as floods, wildfires, extreme heat, and drought.
In order to ensure that DHS takes a comprehensive approach to tackling the climate crisis, I have established a Climate Change Action Group comprised of senior officials from across the Department.

Together, we will ensure that DHS identifies and mitigates the climate change related to our homeland.

Although achieving these goals will not be easy or simple, DHS will take clear steps to rise to this challenge.
ler- While climate change poses a significant threat to the homeland, it also presents an opportunity.

By participating in a whole-of-government response to climate change, DHS will contribute to the stable demand for American-made clean energy technologies and boost our Nation's industrial capacity.

We will also accelerate our Nation's transition to clean energy and solidify America's leadership role in the global green economy.
The most important factors in our continued success are the dedicated, skilled, and diverse professionals that are the backbone of our Department.

Thank you for your service to our country and our Department, and your active involvement in addressing the impacts of climate change in everything we do.
Alejandro N. Mayorkas Secretaiy It is the Department's policy to integrate climate change into DHS missions, assets, and personnel; by adapting our operations to account for climate change and mitigate any additional harm; by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting resilience, and reducing the multiple risks posed by the climate crisis.

Table of Contents STATEMENT FROM THE SECRETARY………………………………………………………………...i I. II.
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 1 LEADERSHIP ................................................................................................................................... 2 III.
PRIORITY ADAPTATION ACTIONS ............................................................................................ 3 Priority Action 1: Incorporate Climate Adaptation Planning and Processes into Homeland Security Mission Areas ........................................................................................................................................... 4 Priority Action 2: Ensure Climate Resilient Facilities and Infrastructure ............................................... 7 Priority Action 3: Incorporate Climate Adaptation into National Preparedness and Community Grants and Projects ............................................................................................................................................. 11 Priority Action 4: Ensure Climate-ready Services and Supplies ........................................................... 15 Priority Action 5: Increase Climate Literacy ......................................................................................... 18 IV.
TOPIC AREA 1: Climate Vulnerability Assessments ................................................................... 21 Vulnerability 1: Incorporating Climate Adaptation and Resilience into Business Processes ................ 21 Vulnerability 2: Resources to Assess Mission Essential Functions and Critical Infrastructure ............ 22 Vulnerability 3: National Security Implications due to Disruption of Migration Patterns .................... 22 Vulnerability 4: Services and Mission Operations Risk due to Supply Chain Disruptions ................... 23 Vulnerability 5: Integration of Climate Literacy ................................................................................... 24 V. VI.
TOPIC AREA 2: Agency Efforts to Enhance Climate Literacy in Management Workforce ........ 24 TOPIC AREA 3A: Agency Actions for Climate-Ready Sites and Facilities ................................. 25 VII.

TOPIC AREA 3B: Agency Actions to Ensure Climate-Ready Supply of Products and Services .

25 ii I.

INTRODUCTION The Department of Homeland Security’s (“Department” or “DHS”) mission is to safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values.
DHS carries out that mission through its diverse Operational and Support Components, including U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), U.S. Secret Service (USSS), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
According to the Fourth National Climate Assessment,1 “global climate is changing rapidly compared to the pace of natural variations in climate that have occurred throughout Earth’s history.” Sea-level rise, extreme weather events, drought, changes in migration patterns, workforce health, and other direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of climate change will affect essential functions and supporting infrastructure across the United States.
Simply put, the world is facing an existential climate crisis that is a current and growing threat to our way of life.

Climate change endangers national security and DHS’s mission of safeguarding the American people, our homeland, and our values.
The Intelligence Community recently stated that a changing climate will create a mix of direct and indirect threats, including risks to the economy, heightened political volatility, human displacement, and new venues of geopolitical competition that will play out during the next decade and beyond.2 Climate change has already contributed to instability in strategically important areas; it is a “threat multiplier.” To adapt, focused solutions are needed.
Investing in action now saves lives, conserves resources, and provides long-term cost savings.

The Department is committed to establishing adaptation strategies and increasing resilience today so we will be better able to meet the challenges of a changing climate tomorrow while continuing to meet mission requirements.

A central goal is a more resilient Nation, so that a warmer world is not a more dangerous world.
Development of an actionable Climate Action Plan (CAP or Plan) will allow the Department to focus and prioritize within available resources, take advantage of early action and planning, integrate adaptive strategies, and engage in effective collaboration with other federal agencies, state, territorial, tribal, and local organizations, and the public to ensure a more resilient Department and Nation overall.
DHS has prepared this 2021 CAP pursuant to Section 211 of EO 14008,3 and the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) Implementing Instructions.4 This CAP focuses on climate adaptation, resilience, and mitigation measures and initiatives for both internal operations and activities across agency programs.
The 2021 CAP aligns with the DHS fiscal year (FY) 2020- 1 https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/ 2 2021 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community (dni.gov) 3 https://www.federalregister.gov/executive-order/14008 4 Council on Environmental Quality, Interim Instructions for Preparing Draft Climate Action Plans under Executive Order 14008, March 2021.
1 2024 Strategic Plan5 and builds upon the previous DHS Climate Action Plans prepared in 2012 and 2013, the 2012 DHS Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap, the 2018 Resilience Framework,6 the FY 2021-2025 Environmental Justice Strategy,7 and the annual Sustainability Report and Implementation Plan.8 Under the direction of the Climate Change Action Group (CCAG), which includes senior leadership from across the Department, DHS will soon release its Strategic Framework for Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change.
This Framework will provide overarching goals, principles, and strategic vision to guide our activities to assess and mitigate the full range of climate change impacts across the homeland security mission and execute other responsibilities assigned in Executive Order 14008.

II.

LEADERSHIP Climate change adaptation considerations are integrated into the Department’s Strategic and Risk Management Framework and are recognized as key drivers influencing the Nation’s security posture.
Understanding how climate change may affect the execution of core Departmental missions and proposing a comprehensive set of actions for adapting to or mitigating the effects of these impacts, are at the heart of the Department’s efforts.

In line with responsibilities assigned to DHS under EO 14008, the CCAG will oversee and provide updates to the Secretary on efforts to implement this CAP and the DHS Strategic Framework for Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change.
This Group is chaired by the Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans and the Senior Counselor for National Security, who report directly to the Secretary.

In addition to its internal coordination role, the CCAG is keeping senior leadership informed of climate- related issues and serving as the primary coordinator for DHS engagement with other federal agencies, particularly as it relates to identifying areas for collaboration and ideas for leveraging federal resources to address the climate crisis.
The Deputy Under Secretary for Management (DUSM) is authorized by the Secretary to serve as the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) for the Department and is the official responsible for carrying out all management activities outlined in this 2021 CAP.

The Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans is authorized by the Secretary to lead, conduct, and coordinate the development and implementation of Department-wide strategies, policies, and strategic planning activities.
Every DHS Component and office will work to tackle challenges posed by climate change, which affect DHS operations, plans, business processes, programs, and strategies.

5 https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0702_plcy_dhs-strategic-plan-fy20-24.pdf 6 https://www.dhs.gov/publication/dhs-resilience-framework 7 https://www.dhs.gov/dhs-environmental-justice-strategy 8 https://www.dhs.gov/SEP 2 Figure 1: DHS Climate Action Organizational Chart III.
PRIORITY ADAPTATION ACTIONS The Department has witnessed first-hand storms, flooding, and wildfire surges throughout the United States and their effects on our mission critical assets.

Recognizing these risks, the Department has conducted vulnerability and adaptation assessments for climate change impacts on energy and water systems, facilities, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and transportation.
The Department is developing plans to strategically focus resources, provide technical assistance and develop tools to address climate change impacts on DHS critical assets and the workforce.

To execute these programs, DHS is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), General Services Administration (GSA), and other strategic partners.

DHS also supports research, technical assistance, and resilient infrastructure cost/benefit analyses through its partnership with DOE National Laboratories.
Successful adaptation to changing climatic conditions will require commitment and execution by the entire Department.

DHS strives to incorporate climate resilience throughout and has identified five priority adaptation actions for implementation to increase climate adaptation and preparedness.

DHS emphasizes that low-income and minority communities can be disproportionately affected by climate change.
The benefits of the actions presented in this Plan are intended to be shared equitably and fairly, and to promote resilience in underserved communities.
3 Planning and Processes Priority Action 1: Incorporate Climate Adaptation Planning and Processes into Homeland Security Mission Areas Action Description: Action Goal: Enhance homeland security through integration of climate change adaptation into policy, planning, management, and budgeting processes throughout DHS Agency Lead: Climate Change Action Group; Under Secretary for Management; Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans; and Component Heads A changing climate can exacerbate preexisting instability by decreasing access to food and water resources, driving mass migration, increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, and changing disease environments.
Addressing the climate crisis is a priority for DHS as sea-level rise, severe weather events, diseases, workforce health, and other direct disasters affect our assets and the Nation.

Although decision-makers routinely make complex decisions under uncertain conditions, decision-making in the context of climate change can be especially challenging.
Consideration of climate change (including adaptation, resilience, and mitigation) using the best available science, data, and stakeholder engagement must be thoroughly integrated into Departmental strategies, policies, programs, and budget planning processes to better inform decision-making and resource allocation.

Consideration must also be given to the potential for disproportionate impacts on certain populations due to their increased vulnerabilities to the impacts of climate change.
Consideration of environmental justice, climate risks, resilience strategies, and impacts to environmental and cultural resources should be considered and documented as part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, which aids in science-informed decision making at the program, policy, and project level.

Scale: National, Department- wide The DHS CCAG and Strategic Framework will ensure that DHS takes a holistic approach to climate change risks to the homeland.
Under this action, and guided by the CCAG and Strategic Framework, DHS will continue to identify and incorporate climate resilience criteria across its homeland security mission areas, including Disaster Response and Recovery, Cybersecurity, Search and Rescue, Immigration, Law Enforcement, Continuity of Operations, and other efforts.
Risk: Failure to properly integrate climate change considerations into Department-wide policy may result in uninformed decision-making, resulting in increased project time and cost and ultimately mission interruption or inability to execute.

Opportunity: Those responsible for writing and implementing policy and decision-making must be educated in climate literacy to consider climate risks, adaptation, and resilience strategies, as well as how to successfully communicate these considerations.
Additionally, inclusive governance structures and processes must engage communities and include community leaders in decision-making and expanded stakeholder engagement.

DHS 4 must ensure that the public, especially low-income and minority communities, is consulted and engaged when updating Departmental regulations and policies.

Timeframe: Policy review will begin in FY 2022.

DHS projects it will take two to four years to fully review and implement.
Updated guidance is anticipated on an ongoing basis as new technologies and processes are available and as the conditions of the climate change crisis evolve.
Implementation Methods: • Review current management and budget planning policy to assess how climate change considerations are incorporated to determine need for updates or revisions, including how NEPA is utilized to consider climate risks and adaptation and resilience strategies; Identify new policy and budget requirements; • • Determine the level of effort and create associated plans of actions and milestones (POAM); • Prepare internal and external stakeholder communication and training plan to successfully integrate new and revised polices; and • Utilize S&T’s Office of University Programs Centers of Excellence and internal working groups across Components to identify where climate adaptation measures can be integrated into homeland security mission areas.
Performance: The Department will monitor performance annually.

Annual performance reviews may be conducted through the established DHS Office of the Chief Readiness Support Officer (OCRSO) Program Management Review process and OCRSO Readiness Support Council Performance Measurement Reporting program.
Intergovernmental Coordination: DHS will pursue opportunities to engage across the whole- of-government to fully consider how climate change might impact its mission, and what strategies would prepare the Nation to thrive across a range of potential futures.
DHS will leverage current relationships, such as through participation in interagency meetings convened by the White House National Security Council and partnerships with the DOE Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) and GSA’s Office of Federal High-Performance Buildings.

Resource Implications: DHS will need to manage this priority action within its resources.
Challenges/Further Considerations: DHS will coordinate policy revisions and updates across multiple lines of business and Components to ensure unity of effort and consistency.

5 Highlight: CBP Migration Strategic Planning When environmental degradation, whether slowly occurring like drought or rapid-onset like an earthquake or tsunami, is combined with other push factors, sudden and large-scale, cross- border mass migrations and movement of goods and personnel may occur.
DHS continues to analyze the cause and effect of mass migration, both cross-border and internal to the Nation.

The DHS Campaign Plan for Securing the Southern Border and Approaches calls for the Department to conduct integrated, scalable, agile, and synchronized steady-state operations across the depth and breadth of the area of responsibility, to secure the Southern Border and Approaches.
In addition, the Department will be prepared to coordinate operational activities with partners and stakeholders to assure national security and to conduct contingency operations, as required by the situation and directed by the Secretary.

The DHS Southern Border and Approaches Maritime Migration Contingency Plan guides the Department maritime migration activities and identifies associated interagency coordination requirements.
Operation Vigilant Sentry (OVS) integrates the activities of the Department’s Components to prevent, deter, prepare for, respond to, and recover from an actual or potential maritime mass migration originating in the Caribbean region.

OVS also incorporates planned actions by various federal, state, and local partners to coordinate a whole-of-government response to a maritime mass migration.
A successful predictive framework will help the Department develop a responsive and coordinated operational plan for mass migration events.

An initial step toward this end could be to conduct an interagency and stakeholder information request on existing explanatory and predictive models of mass migrations, to avoid duplication of efforts and to maximize the use of available resources and partnerships.
Figure 2: DHS Analytical Study on Mass Migration, 2016 6 Facilities and Infrastructure Action Goal: Incorporate priority climate change adaptation actions to ensure facilities and operational mission essential assets are resilient through a risk- management framework approach fully integrate in the , policy, planning, management and budgeting processes throughout DHS Action Lead: Climate Change Action Group, Under Secretary for Management, Director of Office of Operations Coordination; and Component Heads Scale: Department-wide Priority Action 2: Ensure Climate Resilient Facilities and Infrastructure Action Description: Changing climate conditions threaten critical DHS mission essential facilities and assets and the continuity of the mission essential functions they perform throughout the U.S. and territories.
Anticipated climate impacts on DHS facilities and infrastructure include higher average temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, rapid Arctic change, more frequent severe storm events, rising sea levels, increased coastal flooding, increases in wildfires, and ecosystem degradation.

DHS mission essential assets must be both adaptative and resilient.
Climate adaptation provides an opportunity for DHS to effectively integrate climate informed facility and infrastructure planning and execution into ongoing resilience and sustainability assessments of operations and DHS mission essential assets.

CISA serves as the National Risk Coordinator and operates the National Risk Management Center while working with partners to defend against today’s threats and build a more secure and resilient national infrastructure.
The Office of Operations Coordination, in coordination with the Office of the Under Secretary of Management, is responsible for the identification, prioritization, and assessment of DHS internal critical infrastructure.

Critical infrastructure provides the services that are the backbone of our national and economic security and the health and well-being of all Americans.
Incorporating climate adaptation into critical infrastructure planning and evaluation will minimize the potential for negative impacts to the Nation’s physical and economic security, public health, and national security.9 As the third largest department in the Federal Government and the Nation’s largest law enforcement agency, DHS is uniquely positioned to implement market-shaping investments into resilient, clean energy efficient buildings and electric vehicles.
DHS will work with other federal agencies, state, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and the manufacturing sector to ensure these investments are made in a way that advances unity of effort and drives equitable growth.

DHS is already leading this effort by committing to convert 50 percent of its vehicle fleet to electric vehicles by 2030.

Risk: As of August 2021, DHS operates 7,989 facilities and leases 4,065 buildings.
The vast DHS portfolio includes buildings, air and boat stations, ports-of-entry and border stations, training centers, firing ranges, detention spaces, and a variety of other mission essential facilities.
9 https://www.cisa.gov/national-critical-functions 7 DHS facilities and infrastructure are located in widely dispersed locations throughout the U.S. and its territories that are vulnerable to a range of climate impacts, including extreme storms, rising sea level, increased flooding, and protracted heat waves.

To address these vulnerabilities, DHS will implement climate adaptation and resilience actions for its assets, with highest priority given to identified mission essential assets.
Opportunity: Adapting to climate change includes integration of climate resilient infrastructure that can withstand and recover from climate change hazards.

Facilities and sites built to adapt to their changing climate will possess resilient and sustainable attributes as cited in the DHS Sustainability Report and Implementation Plan.

DHS will incorporate lessons learned from Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Katrina, and other severe storms.
DHS will also leverage systems and standards, such as the new Federal Flood Standard to identify other risk types by installation/facility.

Timeframe: DHS will continue to execute many of these actions in FY 2021-2025.

As adaptation is an iterative process, these actions will be ongoing.

Implementation Methods: • Provide tools, training, guidelines, and cyber and physical vulnerability and resilience assessments to Component owners and operators of critical infrastructure and facilities.
• Protect National Critical Functions (NCF) by sharing intelligence and information, assisting with incident response, performing vulnerability and risk assessments, investing in research and development of protective technologies, and providing other technical services to improve the security and resilience of our Nation’s critical infrastructure against all threats.

o Evaluation and identification of NCF for climate adaptation risk mitigation.
o Evaluation and identification of mission essential functions and mission essential assets to ensure that climate adaptation has been incorporated into these functions and assets.

• Set internal agency standards for fleet electrification, evaluate vehicles for transition, identify electric vehicle charging locations, establish pilot programs, and work with vehicles manufacturers to create suitable electric vehicles for DHS law enforcement purposes.
• Evaluate the federal methodology guidance to be issued in January 2022 from the Office of Management and Budget to account for the social benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions via quantifying the social cost of carbon, nitrous oxide, and methane and provide recommendations for use by DHS Components.
• Continue dialogue through Department technical working groups to share information and promote integration of climate resilience and enhanced procurement of sustainable products and services: o Critical Infrastructure Security & Resilience (CISR) Working Group o Energy & Sustainability Management Committee (ESMC) o Sustainable Acquisitions Working Group (SAWG) o Continuity Working Group (CWG) • Assess DHS and Component readiness to respond to increased climate driven disasters, as well as, the geographic dispersion of operations, through resilience assessments and 8 continuity processes that includes conducting business impact analysis and business process analysis.
• Evaluate and identify mission essential functions and mission essential assets to ensure that climate adaptation has been incorporated into these functions and assets.

• Establish measures through the DHS Resilience Framework processes and report metrics through the DHS Annual Performance Report.

• Ensure cybersecurity and resilience of information and communications technology infrastructure installed at DHS facilities against climate related vulnerabilities and damage.
• Evaluate Department actions taken to support climate adaptation for DHS mission essential facilities and assets, including fleet electrification, to ensure implementation will not have the potential for disproportionate adverse impacts to environmental justice populations.

Performance: Report annually on progress toward measuring and reducing DHS greenhouse gas emissions and sustainability practices in the Sustainability Report and Implementation Plan.
Update the Department and Component Resilience Framework Plans every two years.

Intergovernmental Coordination: To be successful, the Department will leverage the climate adaptation knowledge and experience of its employees and other federal agencies.
For example, FEMP, DOE National Laboratories, and GSA’s Office of Federal High-Performance Buildings provide expertise to assist agencies in the development and implementation of building climate resilience and adaptation actions to leverage and help implement this priority action.

DHS will consider recommendations of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council when implementing climate resilience and adaptation plans.
Resource Implications: DHS will need to reallocate employees and funding to successfully implement this priority action throughout its Components and lines of business.

Challenges/Further Considerations: To achieve the objectives of this priority action, the Department will need to plan for and execute: • Clear guidance and training to ensure sustained and coordinated climate adaptation • actions.
Implementation flexibility to accommodate the unique mission and building footprint of the Department’s Components.

• Management of limited resources (personnel and funding) to support the breadth of climate resilience activities occurring across the Department.

• Coordination with GSA for its owned and leased facilities.

9 Highlight: CISA Regional Assessments and Planning Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is being extensively incorporated into critical infrastructure.
As a result, the variety of cyber-physical system components (operating systems, computational hardware, and firmware) in ICT is likely to make universal security across critical infrastructure sectors problematic and create immeasurable vulnerabilities and attack vectors.

Extreme weather poses a significant challenge to the resilience and sustainability of critical infrastructure.
The risk of these disasters is exacerbated by the current state of our aging and failing infrastructure, increasing population density in high-risk areas, and—in the case of droughts, floods, and hurricanes—by trends associated with climate change.

DHS believes the frequency and intensity of severe weather events will increase during the next 10 years.

As extreme weather becomes more frequent and intense, risk to critical infrastructure grows.
Extreme weather, intensified by the effects of climate change, is expected to cost the United States approximately 100,000 jobs and $15 billion in GDP by 2025.

Severe weather will have significant effects on all critical infrastructure sectors result in cascading consequences.

Climate resilience in ICT is predicated on energy security for ICT resources.
To improve energy security, DHS will complete an assessment of DHS critical ICT assets, pilot and streamline standards for cyber secure Energy Management Control Systems and identify targeted locations for distributed energy resources.

Figure 3: U.S. Critical Infrastructure 2025: A Strategic Risk Assessment 10 Community Adaptation Action Goal: Effectively integrate adaptation considerations into DHS national preparedness mission areas and grant and loan programs, where possible.
Agency Lead: The Office of the Secretary, Climate Change Action Group; FEMA Administrator Scale: National Priority Action 3: Incorporate Climate Adaptation into National Preparedness and Community Grants and Projects Action Description: National preparedness is a shared responsibility across federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments; the private sector; non- governmental organizations; academia; and the public generally.
The Nation can effectively manage emergencies and mitigate harm to its people and communities through thoroughly preparing local communities, rapidly responding during crises, and supporting recovery.

Following climate change induced disasters, DHS is prepared to support local communities with long-term planning, response, and recovery assistance.
DHS will serve as a key promoter, consumer, and integrator of federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, academic, and private sector data and tools to inform climate action by DHS and community partners.

DHS recognizes disaster survivors may face barriers in accessing financial assistance programs and resources to support their recovery efforts.
Certain populations – specifically low-income neighborhoods, communities of color, people with disabilities and older adults, those with language barriers, mixed-status families, and those living in rural and isolated areas – are disproportionately impacted by disasters and face additional barriers to accessing recovery resources.
Recognizing that structural inequities will magnify the impacts of climate change for historically underserved populations and communities, DHS strives to achieve environmental justice and equitable outcomes through its programs, policies, and activities (which includes financial assistance to communities).
DHS commits to expanding outreach to and access for communities with environmental justice concerns to financial assistance programs to strengthen capacity for climate adaptation and better ensure equitable outcomes for survivors.

DHS is uniquely positioned to facilitate the climate adaptation of communities.

FEMA helps build climate resilience by providing tools, resources, and grants to communities to identify threats, assess capabilities, and mitigate risk.
FEMA manages standards, including the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS), implements the National Flood Insurance Program, and provides critical community assistance (hazard mitigation, preparedness, recovery, and resilience grants) before, during, and after disaster.

Grants deliver critical fiscal incentives that enable communities to act and drive adaptation.
Additionally, FEMA leads the Unified Federal Review,10 which is a framework for expediting environmental and historic preservation reviews 10 https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/environmental-historic/review 11 and supporting interagency coordination following Presidentially declared disasters, providing a unique opportunity to ensure climate adaptation is integrated with disaster recovery efforts.
S&T provides cutting edge research on tools and technologies to assist communities in adapting to changing climatic conditions.11 Under this action, DHS will continue to identify and incorporate climate resilience criteria across its homeland security mission, including its National Preparedness Disaster Response and Recovery, Cybersecurity, Search and Rescue, Immigration, Law Enforcement, Continuity of Operations, and other efforts.
Under this action, DHS may change the Notice of Funding Opportunity to include project resilience as part of the selection criteria, if appropriate.

This will also include future proposed grant or loan programs, and new/amended statutory authorities for existing grant or loan programs.

Opportunity: This is an opportunity to ensure that grant programs/projects funded by DHS have incorporated climate adaptation measures, where applicable.

Timeframe: DHS will commence these activities in FY 2021.
However, it is anticipated to take about two to four years to fully integrate.

Identification of additional funding opportunities for resilience projects will be ongoing.

Implementation Methods: To successfully achieve this priority action, DHS will: • • Identify strategies to expand outreach to and access for communities with environmental justice concerns to financial assistance programs that build climate adaptation capacities.
Identify the nexus between DHS grant programs and National Preparedness Mission Areas to promote the safety and security of communities.

DHS will also identify and address any obstacles and limitations.
• Create an integration plan based on assessment of grant and loan programs to identify which documents need to be updated and how to ensure that climate adaptation principles are integrated into Notices of Funding Opportunities, guidance for potential project sponsors, and the selection criteria identified in the assessment.
• Support the continuation of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which provides a strong incentive for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to adopt modern, disaster-resistant building codes, which can save the United States over $132 billion by 2040.
FEMA released the FY 2021 Notice of Funding Opportunity for BRIC on August 9, 2021 to provide applicants and sub-applicants time to fully understand program requirements and details to prepare and prioritize their applications.

• Consider incorporating climate adaptation into DHS grant and loan programs, and what actions the Department must take to make those changes.

• Ensure DHS investments incorporate the FFRMS where appropriate.
11 https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/news/2021/07/15/feature-article-st-leading-way-adapting-climate- change 12 Performance: The Department will monitor progress through: • Evaluation of grant and loan programs to ensure that, where DHS has authority, climate • adaptation-integrated projects receive priority; Implementation of BRIC projects that reduce risks posed by natural hazards to reduce future losses, by funding priority projects and activities.
Priorities include risk reduction of both acute events and chronic stressors, driven by climate change, which are either observed or expected.
To achieve these goals, for FY 2021 BRIC is prioritizing infrastructure projects and projects that mitigate risk to lifelines and benefit disadvantaged communities as referenced in EO 14008; incorporate nature-based solutions, climate change adaptation and resilience and adaptation projects; and are proposed by applicants who adopt and enforce mandatory tribal-, territory-, or state-wide building codes.
FEMA will measure the percent of dollars invested in these priorities, which will indicate that BRIC projects expect to meet the goal of reducing both risks posed by natural hazards and future losses.
Results are based on (1) federal dollars requested for priority projects selected and (2) total federal dollars of eligible projects applied for through the BRIC national competition; and • Evaluation and identification of projects where additional climate adaptation measures would be appropriate for project sponsors to consider in moving their projects forward.
Intergovernmental Coordination: Work with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to stress the importance of climate adaptation and resilience in federally-funded disaster relief projects.

Work with other federal agencies, law enforcement officials, and emergency services personnel to emphasize the importance of incorporating climate adaptation into national preparedness areas.

Resource Implications: No additional resources are needed at this time.
Guidance and training may be needed to implement this action.

Challenges/Further Considerations: Not all DHS grant programs can integrate climate adaptation resilience as a selection criterion based on current laws and regulations.

The authority limitations may hinder incorporation of this resilience for federally funded projects.
Educating project sponsors and mission operators on the importance of incorporating climate adaptation can help to ensure that even if climate adaptation cannot be a selection criterion, sponsors are aware that it is an important factor to consider.

13 Highlight: FEMA Building Resilience Infrastructure Communities Program (BRIC) Combining accessible information with resources creates the opportunity to mitigate or adapt to climate change before disaster strikes.
Grants deliver critical fiscal incentives that enable communities to act.

The BRIC program is a recent example of how this powerful combination can bolster community resilience to preserve communities and prevent billions of dollars in future losses.

BRIC aims to shift the federal focus away from reactive disaster spending and toward research-supported, proactive investment in community resilience.
FEMA anticipates BRIC funding projects that demonstrate innovative approaches to partnerships, such as shared funding mechanisms, and/or project design.

For example, an innovative project may bring multiple funding sources or in-kind resources from a range of private and public sector stakeholders or offer multiple benefits to a community in addition to the benefit of risk reduction.
Figure 4: FEMA BRIC 14 Services and Supplies Action Goal: Provide management support and facilitation to ensure climate-ready services and supplies to support the Department’s mission and to carry out essential services and movement of supplies to the Nation Agency Lead: The Office of the Secretary in coordination with the Office of Under Secretary for Management, Chief Readiness Support Officer and requirements owners; Climate Change Action Group; Office of Chief Procurement Officer; and Component Heads Scale: National, Global Priority Action 4: Ensure Climate-ready Services and Supplies Action Description: Climate change will interact with strategic competition, demographic changes, and emerging technology to create new risks and complicate existing challenges to our national security.
For example, the retreating sea ice in the Arctic has already converged with strategic competition with China to transform the Polar regions into a competitive space which will require significant attention from USCG; this is addressed in the USCG Arctic Strategy.

CBP is addressing effects of climate change and migration through the development of plans and strategies, and CISA has developed a supply chain resource library.
U.S. commerce, typically totaling over two trillion dollars annually,12 includes air, marine, and land movement of goods vital to everyday life.

Securing the global supply chain and commercial flow of food, medicine, energy, and other vital goods and services, is essential to maintaining national security and economic prosperity.
During a climate crisis—such as damaging storms, flood and pandemics—threats to economic security are made visibly clear, and the inability to secure access to food, and medicine, or even the ability to conduct business impacts society, damages both the current state and future potential of the economy and may have disproportionately adverse impacts on communities with environmental justice concerns.
America’s prosperity and economic security are integral to DHS’s homeland security operations, which affect international trade, national transportation systems, maritime activities and resources, and financial systems.

Securing the global supply chain, while ensuring its smooth functioning, is essential to our national security and economic prosperity.
This vital system provides the goods necessary to support our way of life.13 Additionally, observed and expected changes in climate create a crosscutting issue that poses risks to the global supply chains that DHS relies on to acquire the goods and services necessary to complete its missions.14 12 https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/trade 13 https://www.dhs.gov/national-strategy-global-supply-chain-security 14 https://sftool.gov/plan/553/framework-managing-climate-risks-federal-agency-supply-chains 15 Changing climatic conditions, including greater frequency and intensity of climate hazards, are more likely to prompt people to migrate at times when the population is most vulnerable and maintain a lower capacity to adapt.
Catastrophic events, such as floods, wildfires, and extreme drought, may prompt mass migration which has the capacity to overrun DHS facilities and infrastructure supporting the Nation’s immigration system.

Risk: Global commerce was disrupted, and borders closed during the COVID-19 pandemic which acted as a “stress test” of global supply chain dependences particularly for medical supply chains.
The pandemic exposed numerous risks and vulnerabilities in our Nation’s existing supply systems and manufacturing capacity.

The changing climatic and geographic environment is elevating risks to U.S. citizens living in the Arctic, including increased frequency and severity of storms, coastal erosion, thawing permafrost and impacts on subsistence gathering upon which many indigenous populations rely.
The changing Arctic environment also continues to unlock previously inaccessible resources and trade route opportunities for both Arctic and non-Arctic states.

If left unchecked, increased human activities across the U.S. Arctic and under-governed maritime spaces could outpace DHS’s ability to detect, deter, prevent, and respond to those changes and activities.
This increased mission tempo combined with disruptions from acute extreme weather events or long- term climatic change create more risk to the Department, specifically in our ability to maintain sufficient post-disaster supplies and equipment, transportation fuel, electricity, potable water and wastewater treatment, and critical communication services vital to the security of the DHS mission and the Nation.

Timeframe: Efforts are ongoing through the DHS Arctic Strategy, CBP operations, and CISA.
Additional efforts to ensure climate-ready services and supply will commence in FY 2021.

Implementation Methods: To successfully achieve this priority action, DHS will: Innovate and adapt in the Arctic region to protect and serve maritime communities.

• • Assess climate impacts and adaptation strategies through the CISA national risk assessment program.
• Engage with communities with environmental justice concerns to better understand and prevent disproportionately adverse impacts related to services and supply chain disruptions.

• Collaborate with global partners to ensure climate-ready supply chain and security, maintaining and operating facilities, and recognizing workforce impacts.
Performance: The Department will monitor progress through OCRSO’s Component performance management reviews and tracking and monitoring of services and supplies within the Department’s authority and any impacts from climate change disruption.

Intergovernmental Coordination: Work with state, territorial, tribal, and local government.

Work with global trading partners and the Nation’s strategic competitors to enforce legal trade and rules-based order.
16 Resource Implications: No additional resources are needed at this time.

Additional guidance and training may be needed to fully implement climate adaption into this action.

Challenges/Further Considerations: The world’s economy is increasingly interdependent through trade of goods and services.

The Department must ensure both adequate resources to execute its mission and support the reliable and safe supplies and services to the Nation.
Highlight: DHS Arctic Strategy Climate change will interact with strategic competition, demographic changes, and emerging technology to create new risks and complicate existing challenges to our national security.

For example, the retreating sea ice in the Arctic has already converged with strategic competition with China to transform the Polar regions into a competitive space which will require significant attention from the Department of Homeland Security.
Climate change impacts extend far beyond melting ice caps, with deep implications for the security of our borders, the health of the rules-based order, and America’s way of life.

DHS shares the Arctic mission space with other federal agencies, frequently in ways that can be mutually beneficial.

For example, in the offshore energy sector, the USCG and Department of the Interior share responsibilities for safety, security, and environmental protection.
Other partner organizations have expertise in detecting threats, while DHS and additional partners possess the jurisdiction and authority to act.

DHS will work with relevant federal agencies to develop and deploy solutions that will avoid duplication of effort and maximize the collective effectiveness for all parties.

DHS will also continue to engage with the State of Alaska, its local authorities, and the Alaska Native tribal entities recognized by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.
In addition to direct engagement between law enforcement, maritime, emergency response and other officials necessary to align goals and responses, local knowledge will continue to be crucial to identifying viable and sustainable long-term solutions to Arctic challenges.

DHS will continue to engage both bilaterally and multilaterally with other Arctic nations and collaborate internationally on information sharing, science, research and development, and operations.
Figure 5: DHS Strategy for Arctic Security 17 Climate Literacy Action Goal: Increase climate literacy among DHS employees, stakeholders, and volunteers using training programs and other educational opportunities Action Lead: The Office of the Secretary in coordination with the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer, Under Secretary for Management, Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Component Heads Scale: National Priority Action 5: Increase Climate Literacy Action Description: Understanding, mitigating, and adapting to climate change and its impacts require cooperation across every level of DHS.
DHS is committed to creating and growing a climate literate15 workforce that understands the principles of climate change, can assess scientifically credible information about climate, can communicate about climate change in a meaningful way, and is able to make informed decisions about climate change impacts on mission activities.
Climate change literacy will also be fostered in the near term by exploring existing fellowships and advisory councils to recruit climate change and adaptation methodology expertise for the Department.

Additionally, DHS will pursue the creation of a National Security and Climate Honors Program to provide students or recent graduates with a hands-on opportunity to contribute to new initiatives that have the potential to substantially help DHS adapt to climate change.
DHS will aggressively pursue strategies to ensure a diverse applicant pool, to include applicants from underserved communities, and provide clear and accessible science-informed data, tools, technical assistance, and information to the communities it serves.

In the long term, DHS may explore the creation of new hiring authorities and retention programs to recruit and retain climate change talent through both Departmental and congressional action.
Risk: Without adequate climate literacy training for employees and stakeholders, the Department risks developing infrastructure, management decisions, and project designs that do not sufficiently integrate climate resilience, environmental justice, and gender and racial equity considerations.
Opportunity: By promoting climate education and information communication throughout Departmental decision making and community outreach efforts, DHS will facilitate climate literacy across our workforce and stakeholders.

Additionally, those responsible for writing and implementing policy and decision-making need to be educated in climate literacy to fully consider climate risks and adaptation and resilience strategies and how to successfully work towards these actions.
Climate literacy will be iterative because climate impacts and technologies for responding to climate change continue to evolve.

DHS will ensure research is conducted to keep the workforce and stakeholders informed as new information and innovative 15 https://www.climate.gov/teaching/essential-principles-climate-literacy/what-climate-science-literacy 18 technologies are developed to improve climate resilience and incorporate the principles of environmental justice and racial equity.
Implementation Methods: To successfully achieve this priority action, DHS will: • Develop and implement over the next several years, a DHS-wide education plan to increase awareness and educate employees on the climate crisis and DHS adaptation and resilience strategies.
• Design the climate literacy curriculum with support from technical experts throughout the Department in sustainability and environmental programs, asset management, operations, public affairs, human resources, and financial management, among others.

The intent is for employees to understand the current and future impacts of climate change on the Department’s mission and programs and actions that can take in their operations to migrate and adapt to these impacts.
• The climate literacy curriculum will be innately tied to environmental and climate justice.

• Providing climate education with a strong civic engagement component will also empower DHS personnel with the understanding and skills needed to ensure equitable access to DHS services and successful mission execution.
In partnership, the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer and CRSO will advance climate literacy education across staff, field, regional, and senior management levels, which will also include partnering with organizations outside of DHS and including standard Departmental training in aspects of staff performance plans.
• The DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties will collaborate with Department subject matter experts and stakeholders to enhance climate literacy and its intersections with environmental justice in DHS federally assisted programs.

Performance: The Department will monitor progress in climate literacy through employee training and will measure employee understanding of climate change impacts and environmental justice.
Intergovernmental Coordination: DHS will coordinate with organizations outside of DHS in the development of policy and training.

Resource Implications: No additional resources are needed at this time.

Additional guidance and training may be needed to fully implement climate literacy from subject matter experts and organizations.
Challenges/Further Considerations: The Department must reach all employees to foster a workforce of understanding and compassion and ensure climate literacy is accepted and embraced.

19 Highlight: DHS Directives and Strategies DHS Directive 023-03, Climate Resilience: In 2016, DHS established the Climate Resilience Directive which defined authorities, responsibilities, policies, and requirements for climate resilience to support operations, missions, and infrastructure.
DHS Resilience Framework: In FY 2021, DHS successfully integrated climate adaptation into the DHS Resilience Framework, Sustainability Report and Implementation Plan, and Environmental Justice Strategy.

FY 2021 DHS Environmental Justice Strategy: The DHS Environmental Justice Strategy requires the Department to consider potential disproportionately high and adverse effects of its actions on communities at a greater risk of adverse effects, including, climate change.
Objectives of the five year Environmental Justice Strategy include: updating Department policy; identifying and developing training and educational resources for DHS personnel; creating tools for building relationships with stakeholders; engaging with interagency partners; integrating climate literacy with environmental justice; and integrating environmental justice principles into Department climate change initiatives.
Departmental successes achieved to date include establishment of the DHS Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation Decision Support System for evaluating and documenting NEPA compliance for more than 25,000 categorically excluded actions annually; implementation of the DHS Civil Rights Evaluation Tool; Civil Rights and Civil Liberties technical assistance to recipients as part of the DHS Federally Assisted Compliance Program; and creation of a DHS Tribal Consultation Policy.
Figure 6: DHS Directives and Strategies 20 IV.

TOPIC AREA 1: Climate Vulnerability Assessments In accordance with Section 211 of Executive Order 14008 and the CEQ Instructions, DHS has identified the following five climate vulnerabilities tied to decision points for managing procurement, real property, public lands and waters, and financial programs.
Highlight: Examples of Climate Change Risks on National Security • Higher temperatures and more intense storms may damage or disrupt telecommunications and power systems, creating challenges for telecommunications infrastructure, emergency communications, and the availability of cybersecurity systems.

• More severe droughts and tropical storms, especially in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, could increase population movements, both legal and illegal, across the U.S. border.
• Melting sea ice in the Arctic may lead to new opportunities for shipping, tourism, and legal resource exploration, as well as new routes for smuggling and trafficking, increased risk of environmental disasters, and illicit resource exploitation.

• Higher temperatures may change patterns of human, animal, and plant diseases, putting the workforce, the public, and plant and animal health at higher risk of illness.
Figure 7: Examples of Climate Change - Risks on National Security Vulnerability 1: Incorporating Climate Adaptation and Resilience into Business Processes Climate Threat and the Expected Impact: Inclusive governance structures and processes engage communities and include community leaders in decision-making.
DHS must ensure that the public, especially communities with environmental justice concerns who may be disproportionately adversely affected by climate change, are consulted, and engaged in any updates to Departmental regulations, policies, or guidance.
Additionally, those responsible for writing and implementing policy and decision-making need to be educated in climate adaptation to fully consider climate risks, adaptation, and resilience strategies, especially for disparately impacted communities, as well as how to successfully communicate these considerations.
Determined Adaptation Action: The Department will ensure climate change and risks are appropriately considered in its decision making by incorporating climate adaptation actions as an integral part of its planning and processes.

The Department’s ability to provide services to the Nation must also consider scenario planning for future climate outcomes.
Timeline and Performance Metrics: The Department will measure its success through its project objectives and milestones laid out in Priority Adaptation Action 1.

Resources: The Department will leverage its existing resources to apply climate adaptation into its early planning and execution.

Disclosure in Annual Reporting and Integrated into Enterprise Risk-Management Process: The Department must determine a standard financial method for determining cost impacts.
The 21 risk of climate change will be incorporated into the Department’s existing risk management and continuity processes.

Vulnerability 2: Resources to Assess Mission Essential Functions and Critical Infrastructure Climate Threat and the Expected Impact: Increases in severe weather, drought, and flooding threaten to disrupt operation of electricity power generation and distribution infrastructure resulting in power outages and disruption to transportation and distribution of fuel supplies.
Projects to enhance mission essential operations must take a risk-based approach to understand impacts from climate change hazards and how to plan for multiple timelines and scenarios of adaptation.

Projects that do not consider and integrate climate adaptation into their design, construction and siting are at risk for damage, deterioration, and destruction from impacts of climate change.

This risk could require relocating or even abandoning current infrastructure in certain circumstances.
Without adequate protections, federal investments and the continuity of the Department’s mission are placed at risk.

Risks are identified and prioritized to NCF as part of the NCF National Risk Register to determine how prioritized risks to the NCFs inform adaptation and federal planning decisions and investments where appropriate.
Determined Adaptation Action: Evaluate existing and new projects and prioritized risks to ensure the consideration of climate change impacts and adaptation scenarios and the adoption of resilience measures where appropriate and incorporated into capital planning and real property directives.

Timeline and Performance Metrics: This is an ongoing action that involves preparing guidance and educating the DHS workforce and sponsors about resilience measures and performing project evaluations.
Resources: Allocation/prioritization of resources will support this effort under Priority Action 2.

Disclosure in Annual Reporting and Integrated into Enterprise Risk-Management Process: The Department must determine a standard financial method for determining cost impacts.

The risk of climate change will be incorporated into the Department’s existing risk management and continuity processes.
Vulnerability 3: National Security Implications due to Disruption of Migration Patterns Climate Threat and the Expected Impact: Climate change is likely to increase population movements from Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean and impact neighboring countries.

Increases in human migration may require more resources and operational capacity at the U.S. border to facilitate the application of immigration law, including the law governing claims for humanitarian protection.
Additionally, climate change may impact patterns of disease and infection among humans, animals, and plants putting members of the DHS workforce at increased risk of illness.

As with Vulnerability 2, national security risks are 22 being assessed associated with climate change to the NCFs and reflected in the NCF National Risk Register to assist with informing department actions in response to these risks.
Determined Adaptation Action: The Department will re-examine and build upon past efforts to understand the impacts of climate change on mass migration.

Coordination will occur between the operating authorities of CBP, ICE, USCIS, and USCG to understand these risks and develop coordinated adaptation actions that will focus on national security and balanced, equitable outcomes.

Timeline and Performance Metrics: This is ongoing work performed by Department Components.
Metrics will be determined jointly to measure climate adaptation success.

Resources: It is uncertain if additional resources are needed at this time.

Once determined resource requests, reallocation will be made through the appropriate channels.

Disclosure in Annual Reporting and Integrated into Enterprise Risk-Management Process: The Department must determine a standard financial method for determining cost impacts.
The risk of climate change will be incorporated into the Department’s existing risk management and continuity processes.

Vulnerability 4: Services and Mission Operations Risk due to Supply Chain Disruptions Climate Threat and the Expected Impact: The Department has taken great steps to ensure continued operations of its missions and services through acquisition strategies, redundancies, and emergency contracts.
However, climate change impacts the global supply chain in increasing and complex ways that are difficult to predict and prepare for.

These climate change impacts, and prioritization changes based on national security may cause supply chain disruptions.

The Department will to support NCF mitigation planning to inform necessary Department actions when these relevant change scenarios are being prioritized.
Determined Adaptation Action: Provide best practices, education, and facilitation for program managers to support innovative strategies and acquisitions of services and supplies to advance the Department’s ability to implement climate change adaptation.

Timeline and Performance Metrics: DHS will continue these actions.

As adaptation is an iterative process, these actions will be ongoing.
The Department will monitor progress through: • Oversight of DHS Components to ensure compliance with federal and Departmental • requirements.

Incorporation of climate adaptation requirements into Departmental operations, including acquisition planning and financial assistance programs.

• Measurement and analysis of acquisition performance.

Resources: Department resources will address this vulnerability.
23 Disclosure in Annual Reporting and Integrated into Enterprise Risk-Management Process: The Department must determine a standard financial method for determining cost impacts.

The risk of climate change will be incorporated into the Department’s existing risk management and continuity processes.
Vulnerability 5: Integration of Climate Literacy Climate Threat and the Expected Impact: Personnel lacking climate change and resilience knowledge and understanding will not take these factors into account in decision making, business processes, and project design.

This can lead to inadequate climate adaptation implementation and increased risk from climate change hazards.

Currently, climate knowledge is not consistent across the Department.
DHS personnel must be trained on climate change risks and adaptation, and on how to communicate this to affected communities.

Recommended Adaptation Action: To be successful, DHS will ensure that personnel have a basic understanding of climate change, its causes, and its impacts, including the intersections with environmental justice and climate justice concerns and responsibilities.

Climate change will be factored into staff performance and decisions, where appropriate.
Timeline and Performance Metrics: DHS will commence many of these actions in FY 2021.

Actions to increase climate literacy will be iterative.

The impacts of climate change and technologies being used to adapt to climate change are evolving and DHS will keep employees and stakeholders informed as new information and innovative technologies are developed to improve resilience.

Resources: No additional resources are needed at this time.
Disclosure in Annual Reporting and Integrated into Enterprise Risk-Management Process: The Department must determine a standard financial method for determining cost impacts.

The risk of climate change will be incorporating into the Department’s existing risk management and continuity processes.

V. TOPIC AREA 2: Agency Efforts to Enhance Climate Literacy in Management Workforce Climate literacy is integral in achieving the Department’s climate adaptation goals.
The DHS workforce must be knowledgeable and adequately trained on the foundations, importance, and outcomes of climate change.

Near term and long-term goals are further described in Priority Action 5 to recruit expertise and ultimately create a curriculum to train the DHS workforce.

The climate change literacy curriculum will include environmental justice and climate justice and how different populations are unequally affected.
A knowledgeable workforce properly trained on the impacts of climate change will enhance the Department’s ability to execute its mission into the future and ensure equitable access to DHS services.

24 VI.

TOPIC AREA 3A: Agency Actions for Climate-Ready Sites and Facilities Following the 2017 hurricane and wildfire season, DHS initiated a focused effort to formalize a Department-wide Resilience Framework process to adapt to changing conditions at its mission essential sites across the U.S. and territories.
The Department’s holistic Framework examines threats and hazards, including climate change, assesses vulnerabilities of DHS mission essential functions and assets, and analyzes and identifies solutions to reduce these risks and ensure secure and sustainable mission operation.

The initial DHS Resilience Framework, signed in 2018, addressed the four DHS infrastructure areas of energy and water, facilities, information and communication technology, and transportation.
It is imperative that climate change is a cornerstone for evaluating and prioritizing the adaptation of DHS infrastructure.

Therefore, the Resilience Framework will be updated with climate adaptation as a key focus for management of these infrastructure areas.

All Components are responsible for assessing and planning for the continued operations of their critical assets and each develops its specific Plan for Resilience, with updates every two years.

VII.
VII.

TOPIC AREA 3B: Agency Actions to Ensure Climate-Ready Supply of Products and Services The Department is on the front lines of the climate change crisis – with a duty to safeguard the Nation from today’s increasingly severe, frequent, and destructive climate change related emergencies.

In addition to leading during acute crises, the Department supports communities as they build resilience for the future.
DHS must also adapt to the impacts of climate change on the products and services it provides to the Nation.

Changes in human migration will impact CBP, ICE, USCIS, and USCG.

Rising sea levels and a more accessible Arctic impact the USCG.

FEMA is responding to more frequent and more severe weather events affecting the Nation.

CISA secures and protects the functions of the Nation’s critical infrastructure.
FLETC must train and educate current and future law enforcement officers with the knowledge and understanding of climate change impacts.

The risks posed by climate change are particularly complex and will impact communities ranging from rural to urban and poor to wealthy.

In the execution of its mission, each DHS Component will actively engage its own set of stake holders to understand the unique challenges climate change creates for them.
This work will be done with our interagency partners and the scientific community to effectively provide our Nation with the products and services of DHS in an equitable and just manner.

As climate change converges with other drivers, including geostrategic competition, emerging technology, and global-demographic trends, it is reshaping the risk landscape.

An increasingly accessible Arctic has already emerged as a competitive space.
Competition over resources, such as fish, water, and minerals will intensify.

The global increase in natural disasters will also drive more humanitarian crises.

The corrosive impact of these trends makes developing nations increasingly vulnerable to domestic instability with sweeping implications for regional and border security and core national security interests.

DHS will continue to adapt its mission operations to meet these challenges from climate change with fortitude, integrity, and determination.
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