Climate and society in the U.S. Southwest: The context for a regional assessment

Liverman, D.M., and R. Merideth. 2002. Climate and society in the U.S. Southwest: The context for a regional assessment, Climate Research 21:199-218.

Provides a context for the ongoing Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS) Project by reviewing key contextual elements of the region – its demography, economy, land, water, and institutions and values – and indicating effects on the vulnerability of certain social groups, economic sectors, and geographic areas; argues that, in the face of institutional, political, and other constraints, improvements in climate information might best assist decisionmakers in responding to climatic variability if they are afforded sufficient flexibility to use the information in appropriate ways.