What We Did:
The objective of this evaluation was to determine the extent to which the DoD has addressed the climate resilience of U.S. military installations in the Arctic and sub-Arctic.
What We Found:
U.S. military installation leaders at the six Arctic and sub-Arctic installations we visited did not conduct installation resilience assessments and planning required by DoD directive and public law. DoD Directive 4715.21, “Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience” (2016), requires DoD Components to integrate climate change considerations into DoD Component policy, guidance, plans, and operations. In addition, 10 U.S.C. § 2864 (2020) requires commanders of major military installations to identify, assess, and develop plans to address military installation resilience and environmental risks and threats to assets, infrastructure, and mission. However, most installation leaders at the six installations we visited in the Arctic and sub-Arctic region were unfamiliar with military installation resilience planning requirements, processes, and tools, and did not comply with requirements to identify current and projected environmental risks, vulnerabilities, and mitigation measures or incorporate these considerations into plans and operations.
These conditions occurred because of a lack of DoD and Service Component emphasis on installation climate resilience. Specifically,
• military installation leaders focused on existing weather and energy challenges rather than analyzing their installations’ infrastructure, assets, and mission exposure and vulnerability to climate change;
• the DoD and Service Components did not provide guidance for implementing military installation
• installation leaders lacked resources to analyze and assess climate change.
What We Recommend:
We recommend that the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment incorporate 10 U.S.C. §2864 (2020) master planning requirements for major military installations into DoD climate change adaptation and resilience policy.
We further recommend that the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment:
• establish priorities, develop milestones, and identify planning and training resources for the Department of the Army; and
• establish Department of the Army installation orders requiring installation commanders to identify climate risks, conduct assessments, determine climate vulnerabilities, and identify and plan for climate resilience measures for current and future climate changes in installation master plans, in accordance with DoD Directive 4715.21, Army Directive 2020-08, and 10 U.S.C. § 2864 (2020).
Finally, we recommend that the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment:
• establish priorities, develop milestones, and identify planning and training resources; and
• establish Department of the Air Force installation orders requiring installation commanders to identify climate risks, conduct assessments, determine climate vulnerabilities, and identify and plan for climate resilience measures for current and future climate changes in installation master plans, in accordance with DoD Directive 4715.21, Air Force Instruction 32-1015, and 10 U.S.C. § 2864 (2020).