Local Responses to Climate Change Vulnerability Along the Western Reach of the US-Mexico Border

Abstract

The US-Mexico borderland is a highly urbanized region, with urbanization levels rivaling that of many industrialized nations. Against this backdrop, recent studies predict a warmer climate and increased droughts in the region that will exacerbate competition over a limited supply of water resources and energy, in addition to higher incidence of vector-borne disease, flooding, and heat waves that would be more intensively felt in urban areas. This article seeks to contribute to the limited body of knowledge regarding climate change responses by municipalities on both sides of the US-Mexico border, including their type, drivers, magnitude and sustainability. Understanding these aspects is necessary to shed light on the challenges this border region faces to incorporate climate change in its urban agenda and create the governance mechanisms for effective cross-border mitigation and adaptation.