Climate change impacts are projected to affect cities, rural and coastal communities, and tribes in the Great Lakes. Higher temperatures, more variable precipitation patterns, and changes in lake levels will likely increase vulnerability to extreme events (including flooding, drought, heat waves, and more intense urban heat island effects), compounding non-climate stressors such as economic downturns, shrinking cities, and deteriorating infrastructure. 

Agricultural impacts

Agricultural production represents a significant portion of regional land use and is responsible for a major portion of the Great Lakes’ economy. Crops in the region vary from corn, soybeans, and wheat in the southern and western portions of the region to fruit orchards and vineyards in the northern and eastern portions. Tree fruits such as apples, cherries, and peaches have been a specialty of the Great Lakes region for more than 150 years. Annually, over $1 billion in fruit and nut crops are produced in the eight U.S. states bordering the Great Lakes.

Energy

Higher temperatures, more variable precipitation patterns, and changes in lake levels are likely to increase the vulnerability of human systems in the Great Lakes—including cities, rural and coastal communities, and tribes—to extreme events such as flooding, drought, heat waves, and more intense urban heat island effects. These impacts will compound already existing non-climate stressors such as economic downturns, shrinking cities, and deteriorating infrastructure. Vulnerable communities and tribal nations in the region may be disproportionately affected.