View Source | June 13, 2014
Decision Center for a Desert City, a unit of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, has released a policy brief on the complexities of agricultural water and climate vulnerability in the southwestern United States. Authored by Professors Hallie Eakin, Rimjhim Aggarwal, Abigail York and Graduate Research Assistant Skaidra Smith-Heisters, the policy brief discusses the many variables affecting agriculture, as well as the needed policy discussions surrounding them.
The brief, titled Understanding Agricultural Vulnerability in the Southwest, outlines how agriculture's dependence on climate-sensitive resources like water and energy makes it especially vulnerable to climate change. It highlights the additional research needed to understand agriculture's role in an urbanizing context, and encourages weighing the costs and benefits of agricultural water usage in an urban system. The brief recommends incorporating the agricultural sector into broader discussions regarding policy and planning for the central Arizona region.