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Information discussed during a two-day workshop on campus this week will result in a report that will be distributed at the Border Governors Conference.

By University Communications
April 1, 2008

The Climate Assessment for the Southwest project at The University of Arizona is co-sponsoring a two-day workshop to produce a report on water-related climate change impact along the U.S.-Mexico border for 10 governors.

The workshop is being held at the UA on April 1 and 2, and will develop content for a California Department of Water Resources report that will be distributed at the Border Governors Conference in Los Angeles in August.

"California, which receives the lion's share of Colorado River water, is very interested in any threats to its stream flow and water supply," said Gregg Garfin, deputy director of science translation and outreach for the UA's Institute for the Study of Planet Earth.

That's one of the reasons why the focus has been on California, though Garfin said the purpose of the workshop is to talk about water-related issues along the border.

"CLIMAS (Climate Assessment for the Southwest) is recognized for doing a lot of work on the U.S.-Mexico border," said Garfin, who is also a CLIMAS investigator. "It's an area of common interest."

Governors and officials on both sides of the border are increasingly concerned about future water supply shortages, which is why the workshop at the UA is important.

During the Border Governors Conference, governors and other officials interpret policies and programs and figure out ways to improve various situations along the U.S.-Mexico border. The 10 border states involved are: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas in the United States and Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Sonora and Tamaulipas in Mexico.

Climate change models project drier and warmer conditions for the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico, already drought-prone areas pinched between demand for water from a growing population and a dwindling supply of the precious resource.

Such change is expected to affect flood control, water demand, hydropower, runoff, recharge, water supply and water-related ecosystem services.

As recent drought in the Rio Grande Basin has shown, water can be a source of contention between the U.S. and Mexico. The report that will be sent to the conference later this year will provide an overview for policymakers of expected water-related climate change impacts in the border region, including the Rio Grande as well as the Colorado River.

The report will also highlight potential and ongoing adaptation efforts now under consideration or carried out by the 10 border states. Developing policies for addressing the combination of decade-scale climate variations, population growth and increasing temperatures will help ensure a robust water future in the border states.

Participants will discuss such topics and issues and will also cull information from the workshop at the UA to create a special issue for the journal, Climate Research.

In collaboration with California department, CLIMAS program manager Dan Ferguson and Garfin are leading UA planning efforts by convening university and water resource management agency experts from the region. Additional planning help was provided by the Western Water Assessment at the University of Colorado.