An atlas of solutions to water scarcity in the Southwest

Authors: Elias, Emile; SILBER COATS, NOAH - New Mexico State University; HROZENICK, AARON - Economic Research Serivce (ERS, USDA); TANNER, SOPHIA - Economic Research Serivce (ERS, USDA); Ostoja, Steven; Williamson, Jebediah - Jeb; YIQING, GRACIE - Uc Davis Medical Center

Submitted to: American Geophysical Union Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/30/2023
Publication Date: 12/11/2023
Citation: Elias, E.H., Silber Coats, N., Hrozenick, A., Tanner, S., Ostoja, S.M., Williamson, J.C., Yiqing, G.Y. 2023. An atlas of solutions to water scarcity in the Southwest. American Geophysical Union Meeting Abstract. Abstract.

Interpretive Summary: We present an atlas of water scarcity solutions for foster climate adaptation.

Technical Abstract: Coping with water scarcity has long been a necessity in the Southwestern United States. The current patterns of growth and development in the region would not have been possible without monumental historic adaptation. While water scarcity remains a persistent threat in the Southwestern United States, people and communities throughout the region are implementing a variety of water scarcity solutions. We seek to capture these solutions in a web-based resource: the Water Adaptation Techniques Atlas (WATA). WATA documents a range of efforts, whether they are concerned with reducing water use, increasing water supply, or changing the way water flows through the landscape. Solutions to water scarcity, however, are rarely straightforward successes. Securing a new water supply for one region, for example, may deprive others of that same flow. Some solutions like large-scale desalination could create new supplies of water but they come with high costs, both economic and environmental. Agriculture is the major consumer of water in the Southwest and one way in which water use could be reduced is through crops that require less water than those currently cultivated. However, farmers might be hesitant to take on a risky investment, or to move away from established supply chains that bring reliable income. In the realm of adaptation solutions, when a solution is successful, and positive impacts outweigh negative impacts in one location, it may not consistently be appropriate for the different environmental or social conditions of another location. Each case in WATA provides information about a given solution, as well information that will help users critically evaluate these practices. This presentation introduces the Atlas and synthesizes the lessons it offers about promising actions for a hotter, drier future.