Southwestern Colorado is already experiencing the effects of climate change in the form of larger and more severe wildfires, prolonged drought, and earlier snowmelt. Climate scientists expect the region to experience more summer heat waves, longer-lasting and more frequent droughts, and decreased river flow in the future. These changes will ultimately impact local communities and challenge natural resource managers in allocating water under unpredictable drought conditions, preserving forests in the face of changing fire regimes, and managing threatened species under shifting ecological conditions.
 
In light of the wide-ranging potential impacts of climate change in the region, this project seeks to help decision-makers develop strategies to reduce climate change impacts on people and nature. Scientists, land managers, and local communities will work together to identify actions that can be taken to reduce the negative impacts of climate change. Known as “adaptation strategies”, these actions are an essential component of effective planning under shifting climate conditions. To facilitate the planning process, researchers will provide information on the vulnerability of ecosystems, model plausible future climate conditions, and identify the social contexts in which adaptation decisions are made.
 
The project will focus on the San Juan and upper Gunnison river basins of southwestern Colorado, though the goal is to develop an adaptation toolkit that can be applied to other landscapes. By identifying appropriate adaptation actions, this project will help improve the resilience of local communities and ecosystems in the face of an uncertain future.

Learn more about how this project is progressing in its second phase: Building Social and Ecological Resilience to Climate Change in Southwestern Colorado: Phase 2