
16: Climate Change and U.S.-Mexico Border Communities
Climate Change and U.S.-Mexico Border Communities describes the forces that shape the U.S.-Mexico border region—population changes, urban expansion, economic development, and political processes—and that affect the vulnerability of the region to climate change, discussing how communities and agencies might adapt to offset these impacts, with an emphasis on cross-border collaboration.
Citation:
Wilder, M., G. Garfin, P. Ganster, H. Eakin, P. Romero-Lankao, F. Lara-Valencia, A. A. Cortez-Lara, S. Mumme, C. Neri, and F. Muñoz-Arriola. 2013. “Climate Change and U.S.- Mexico Border Communities.” 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, 340–384. A report by the Southwest Climate Alliance. Washington, DC: Island Press.

Climate change exposes the populations in the border region to uneven impacts, due to cultural, institutional, and economic differences.

Transboundary cooperation is essential to build climate-change adaptive capacity on both sides of the border and to promote the best outcomes.

Projected climate changes will add pressure on severely stressed water systems and may exacerbate existing water supply vulnerabilities.
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