In this Section:

	Background
	Project Overview
	Research Methods
	Status of Project
	References
	Related Links
	Contacts

Center pivot irrigation has increased water efficiency in the Sulphur Springs Valley

Research and Products:
Community Vulnerability Assessment

Background

As part of the CLIMAS mission of understanding climate-society interactions, this project examines the ways in which residents of the southwestern United States are vulnerable to climate variability. This region offers a rich source of data. Its dry, extreme and highly variable climate is a major factor shaping ecological and socioeconomic processes. In this semi-arid environment water is a scarce and valuable resource that is not only directly impacted by climate variability but that is under increasing pressure from a growing number of users. The southwestern United States is one of the fastest growing regions in the country and its rate of growth is expected to continue to remain high. Accelerated development and urbanization translates into increased competition for water resources among urban areas, industry and agriculture.

These factors underscore the need for understanding how the southwestern United States is affected by climate variability and how vulnerabilities may be reduced from improved climate forecasts (Stern and Easterling 1999). In addition, as knowledge developed through global change research reveals, understanding past and current human vulnerabilities and adaptations is the first step towards addressing more drastic future changes (Watson et al. 1988).

Vulnerability

Our working definition of vulnerability has two central components. The first refers to susceptibility to negative socioeconomic impacts of climate variability; the more severe the impacts, the greater the degree of vulnerability. The second refers to the degree of recoverability from severe climatic events. The less vulnerable system has the capability of recovering faster and of adjusting so that future vulnerability to similar climatic events is lowered (Finan et al. 2001). Since vulnerability varies, in addition to examining sectoral differences (e.g. among agriculturists and ranchers) we also look at ethnicity by focusing attention on Hispanics and Native Americans. This helps to explain how and why some groups in society are more vulnerable to damage from climate variability.

In terms of responses to climate variability, we use the concept of buffering. This refers to a process of technology adjustment and social restructuring that links public policy, social institutions and private decision making in such a way that it insulates a community of stakeholders from the impacts of climate variability (Finan et al. 2001).