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Assessment of Climate Change in the Southwest United States, one of a seriesof regional reports prepared for the 2013 National Climate Assessment, isa landmark study in terms of its breadth and depth of coverage. Coordinatedby the Southwest Climate Alliance—a consortium of researchers affiliatedwith the NOAA Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments in theSouthwest (California–Nevada Applications Program, Climate Assessmentfor the Southwest, Western Water Assessment) and the Department of theInterior Southwest Climate Science Center—the report blends the contributionsof 120 experts in climate science, economics, ecology, engineering,geography, hydrology, planning, resource management, and other disciplinesto provide the most comprehensive, and understandable, analysis todate about climate and its effects on the people and landscapes of Arizona,California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah—including the U.S.–Mexico border region and the lands of Native Nations. What is the climateof the Southwest like today? What has it been like in the past, and howis it projected to change over the 21st century? How will that affect waterresources, ecosystems, agricultural production, energy supply and delivery,transportation, human health, and a host of other areas? How vulnerable isthe region to climate change? What else do we need to know about it, andhow can we limit its adverse effects? This report addresses these and otherquestions, offering decision makers and stakeholders a substantial basisfrom which to make informed choices that will affect the well-being of theregion’s inhabitants in the decades to come.Cover design: Maureen GatelyBook design: Livia KentWashington | Covelo | Londonwww.islandpress.orgAll Island Press books are printed on recycled, acid-free paper.