Extreme heat is already a key public health risk in the adjacent cities of El Paso, Texas, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Projected temperature changes, combined with the urban heat island effect and regional poverty, expose urban areas with high vulnerabilities to heat-health risks.
The proposed initiative aims to increase preparedness and capacity to adapt to extreme high temperatures and heat waves in Rio Grande-Bravo Basin border cities by: a) identifying key heat health parameters and target populations for heat health early warning; b) assessing and developing capacity for coordinated heat health early warning; c) facilitating the sharing of best practices; and d) initiating development toward a community of practice within a network of regional cities.
Importance: This project explicitly connects CLIMAS with the NOAA-CDC National Integrated Heat Health Information System initiative and with an international network of similar projects aimed at implementing the Global Framework for Climate Services.
Additonal Information:
July 2016 Workshop Report Executive Summary: English Español
Project Partners: Texas Tech University, University of Texas at El Paso, NOAA Climate Prediction Center (CPC), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New Mexico State University
Additional Funders: National Weather Service, NOAA Regional Climate Services Directors, Texas Tech University, University of Texas at El Paso