Tucson Standard

The Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS) has been selected to receive a $6 million grant to research climate change and its effects in the Southwest. The University of Arizona will receive $4.6 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Adaptation Partnerships.

According to a release from the university, CLIMAS is a collaboration between UA and New Mexico State University to study and develop solutions to regional climate challenges.

"We're trying as hard as we can to do research that's focused on creating impactful answers, so we have a whole structure in place to learn as we're going," CLIMAS Director Dan Ferguson said. "I'm psyched for that part of it because the reality is we can't keep doing science the way we've done it. If we simply sit in our offices and keep generating new science without understanding how that might be useful, we're going to keep missing the mark."

The research team is investigating how rainfall impacts the amount of water in the Gila and Rio Grande rivers, the release stated. The researchers also plan to work directly with communities served by the basins since they are often not involved in the research process, Ferguson added.

With the grant, CLIMAS will study how water availability, increasingly arid conditions and high temperatures affect communities impacted by climate change, as well as the effects on human health, the release added.

"Understanding how climate challenges intersect with health helps ensure a resilient future for everyone living in the Southwest," University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins said in the release. "I'm proud that our university community is working with partner institutions in big ways to make the future more promising for all."

Members of the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA) also will work with the CLIMAS team, the release said. ITCA represents 21 tribal governments across Arizona, the release added.

"Tribes are on the frontlines of experiencing the impacts of climate change, as heat and aridity in the Southwest magnify," Maria Dadgar, executive director of ITCA, said in the release. "This five-year collaboration with CLIMAS will be an essential component in assisting tribes to prepare for evolving climate risks while cultivating responses to more immediate challenges."

CLIMAS also plans to partner with ITCA to offer Indigenous Community Small Grants, which will allow Indigenous communities to apply for direct funding for climate management projects relating to pest management and farming.

"As the Southwest continues to experience more severe climate extremes and ongoing drought conditions, tribes recognize that the stewardship of their land and resources will become increasingly critical to the health and well-being of their community members," Dadgar said.