Climate Choices for a Sustainable Southwest

This chapter provides an integrated overview of solutions and choices for responding to climate change in ways that reduce risks and support sustainable development in the Southwest. The goal is to illustrate the range of choices for responding to climate change, along with some of the relevant trade-offs and opportunities, to inform policy options and decisions. In the context of climate change, risk reduction includes: reducing global GHG emissions to limit global changes; limiting activities locally or regionally (e.g. land use choices) that increase unwanted local or regional climatic changes; taking action now to accommodate and adapt to climate changes to date; and increasing capacity to respond effectively and adapt to future changes.