Arizona Drought Planning and Mitigation

Project Dates
-
Status
Completed

This project provided insights about drought in the Southwest: its causes, its impacts, and the potential vulnerability of Arizona’s expanding communities. CLIMAS researchers worked in coordination with the Governor’s Drought Task Force (GDTF) to provide basic research and information on drought to help the GDTF with effective drought planning for Arizona. The project:

  • Synthesized existing scientific knowledge about past, present, and future climate and hydrology within Arizona to be used in drought assessment;
  • Refined knowledge about drought sensitivities and vulnerabilities, and defined mitigation and adaptation strategies for the GDTF drought plan;
  • Provided the GDTF with timely value-added hydroclimatological information and educational materials;
  • Documented the kinds of research needed to improve the scientific knowledge base for adaptive drought planning and response;
  • Linked hydroclimatological information with drought impacts across a variety of biophysical and socioeconomic sectors.