Economic Impacts of Drought

Economic Impacts of Drought

To effectively address the impacts of drought on Arizona's rural economies, government agencies, businesses, and natural resource managers need a clear understanding of how drought affects these communities. In response to numerous requests from decision makers in the region, this project examined the impacts of drought on two climate sensitive sectors in the Southwest: agriculture and outdoor recreation.

Arizona agriculture is highly irrigation-dependent, meaning that drought conditions effect how much acreage is planted in any given year. For tourism and outdoor recreation, short-term drought results in increased recreational visits, but visits decrease over periods of longer-term drought.

"George and his team provide a link between academic peer-reviewed research on natural resources and information we collect. We get information from the public – what do they like to do, what are their concerns – and we get information from recreation providers. But it is all from personal and passionate perspectives. The information from George and his team provide a missing piece by providing expert, scientific data and context to help us understand the current state of our natural resources."

– Dawn Collins, Arizona State Parks and Trails

CLIMAS Lead: George Frisvold

Research Team: Ashley Bickel, Dari Duval, Xinye Wu, Chenyang Hu

Publications and Reports

Frisvold, G., Duval, D., & Montania, C. (2024). Economic Impacts of Groundwater Restrictions in the Gila Bend and Willcox Basins. Arizona Farm Bureau.
Duval, D., Bickel, A. K., & Frisvold, G. B.. (2021). Effects of Reservoir Levels on Arizona National Recreation Area Visitation, Visitor Spending, and Local Economies. JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 58(5), 622–638. https://doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.12962
Bickel, A., Duval, D., & Frisvold, G.. (2021). Drought and Agriculture in Arizona. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.
Bickel, A., Duval, D., & Frisvold, G.. (2021). Drought and Insured Crop Losses in Arizona. National Integrated Drought Information System.
Duval, D., Bickel, A., & Frisvold, G.. (2021). Drought Effects on National Park Visits, Visitor Spending, and Local Economies. Final Report to NOAA – National Integrated Drought Information System.
Duval, D., Bickel, A., & Frisvold, G.. (2021). The Costs of Wildfire in Arizona: A Survey of Methods, Data, and Estimates. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.
Bickel, A., Duval, D., & Frisvold, G.. (2021). The Effects of Drought on Arizona Forage Production. National Integrated Drought Information System.
Duval, D., Bickel, A., & Frisvold, G.. (2021). The Effects of Reservoir Levels on Arizona National Recreation Area Visitation, Visitor Spending, and Local Economies. Final Report to NOAA – National Integrated Drought Information System.
Bickel, A., Duval, D., & Frisvold, G.. (2020). Agriculture in Graham and Greenlee Counties. University of Arizona.
Duval, D., Bickel, A., & Frisvold, G.. (2020). Arizona County Agricultural Economy Profiles. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.
Duval, D., Frisvold, G., & Bickel, A. (2020). The economic value of trails: A travel cost method study. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.

Media

The Southwest’s Most Important River is Drying Up. 2021. CNN.

US Southwest, already parched, sees ‘virtual water’ drain abroad. 2021. Grist. UnDark. Mother Jones.

Climate change could shake up Arizona agriculture. Arizona Sonora News Service.