The Biden administration has announced a new fund to assist tribal communities that’ve been severely impacted by climate change.
The Voluntary Community-Driven Relocation program is led by the U.S. Interior Department and will commit $115 million to 11 tribes for relocation efforts and adaptation planning.
Many of the Indigenous communities are in Alaska and face wildfires, typhoons and other extreme weather.
Officials say Alaska Native villages are particularly vulnerable climate-related environmental hazards like sea-level rise and coastal erosion and up to $5 billion will be needed over the next 50 years to address the needs.
The announcement was made during Wednesday’s White House Tribal Nations Summit.
The funds come from last year’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.