
10: Water: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation
Water: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation examines the vulnerability of society to changes in water supply—due to changes in the timing and amount of precipitation and stream flow—and to climate-related changes in wildfire risk, stream temperatures, energy demand, reservoir operation, and other such conditions, suggesting ways to manage water supply and demand in the coming century.
Citation:
Udall, B. 2013. “Water: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation.” In Assessment of Climate Change in the Southwest United States: A Report Prepared for the National Climate Assessment, edited by G. Garfin, A. Jardine, R. Merideth, M. Black, and S. LeRoy, 197–217. A report by the Southwest Climate Alliance. Washington, DC: Island Press.

Climate-model projections suggest decreases in Colorado River streamflow during the next century resulting in long-term supply-demand imbalance.

Reduced water supplies lead to undesirable changes in almost all human and natural systems, including agriculture, energy, and industry.

Stream temperatures are expected to increase as the climate warms, which could have direct and indirect effects on aquatic ecosystems.
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