Climate Impacts on Urban Water Resources in the Southwest: The Importance of Context

Barbara J. Morehouse

The full text of this article can be found in the Journal of the American Water Resources Association Vol. 36, April 2000, pgs. 265-277. (download pdf, 146K)

Abstract

Stresses on water resources in the Southwest take many forms and emanate from many different sources, among which are complex institutional arrangements, significant areal and temporal climatic variability, and high urban growth rates. Further challenges to managing supply and demand in this water-scarce region are posed by environmental, social and legal differences within and between the individual urban areas. Analysis of the sensitivity of the urban water sector in the Southwest to climatic variability requires careful consideration of these factors. Such analysis, in turn, provides and essential foundation for effective evaluation of the region's sensitivity to longer term climate change.

Keywords

Urban water, institutions, climate variability, climate change

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