
3: The Changing Southwest
The Changing Southwest provides a broad picture of the social, economic, and land-use patterns and trends for the region—the driving forces that influence the exposure and sensitivity of humans and the environment to climate change—and highlights the key laws and agencies that deal with natural resources management, climate assessments, and climate-related policies in the region.
Citation:
Theobald, D. M., W. R. Travis, M. A. Drummond, and E. S. Gordon. 2013. “The Changing Southwest.” 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, 37–55. A report by the Southwest Climate Alliance. Washington, DC: Island Press.

The Southwest is home to a variety of natural landscapes that are important to the region’s climate and that respond uniquely to climate change.

Complex patterns of land ownership and management across landscapes will make it difficult to coordinate decision making about climate changes.

Rapid population growth and urban expansion across the region will increase demand for water and other natural resources.
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