Climate Assessment for the Southwest

The Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS) program was established in 1998 as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments program. CLIMAS is a collaboration between UA and New Mexico State University. The CLIMAS team is made up of experts from a variety of social, physical, and natural sciences who all work with partners across the Southwest to develop sustainable answers to regional climate challenges. CLIMAS's institutional home is the Arizona Institute for Resilient Environments and Societies (AIRES) at the University of Arizona. AIRES coordinates interdisciplinary programs and groups of faculty, students, and projects across the UArizona campus to develop practical, applied solutions that further resilience in our natural and human communities.

Data and Resources

Information

Field Value
Division Arizona Institute for Resilient Environments and Societies
Contact Name Stacie Reece
Contact Email sreece@arizona.edu
Known Uses of Data Climate variability and the long-term warming trend affect social phenomena such as population growth, economic development, and vulnerable populations, as well as natural systems. This creates a complex environment for decision making in the semi-arid and arid southwestern United States. For example, natural resource managers focused on maintaining the health of ecosystems face serious climate-related challenges, including severe sustained drought, dramatic seasonal and interannual variations in precipitation, and steadily rising temperatures. Similarly, local, state, federal, and tribal governments strive to maintain vital economic growth and quality of life within the context of drought, population growth, vector-born disease, and variable water supplies. These uncertainties surrounding the interactions between climate and society are prompting decision-makers to seek out teams of natural and social scientists—like those that comprise CLIMAS—for collaborations to help reduce risk and enhance resilience in the face of climate variability and change.
Last Updated 11 December 2023
Published 11 December 2023