U.S. Department of Interior—Landscape Conservation Cooperatives

This project examines community perceptions and decisions about climate science, economics, and policies associated with resilience strategies that address increasing water scarcity in the Southwest. Strategies to be evaluated include: investments in built infrastructure (e.g., reservoirs and pipelines); incentive-based risk-sharing agreements; and watershed ecosystem services. The project emphasizes how ecosystem services can buffer water impacts of climate change, as well as the potential for climate mitigation as a strategy to enhance water supply security. Project outputs will include a replicable method for co-producing resilient water-related climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, including scientific and economic evaluation. Potential outcomes include improved water supply reliability and cooperation on adapting to shortages for a regional economy that exceeds $3 trillion annually.

This project aims to better understand the different climate and environmental threats facing urban and rural communities in Arizona and New Mexico. The project focuses on: 1) participating in the lower San Pedro River conservation collaborative to provide expertise about drought and climate vulnerability that is tailored to specific regional challenges; 2) expanding our analysis in the Gila River basin to identify potential collaborators and regional priorities regarding drought and climate; 3) collaborating with Pima County Office of Emergency Management to update their hazard mitigation plan. This project contributes to the Intermountain West Drought Early Warning System (IMW DEWS)