Climate Services for Coping with Climate Change, Drought, and Extreme Heat in the México-U.S. Border Region

Climate change poses challenges for northern México and the southern United States, including drought, extreme heat, and flooding. To aid society in preparing for climate- and weatherrelated risks, partners in the North American Climate Services Partnership have initiated several collaborations. These partners currently produce the Rio Grande|Bravo Climate Impacts and Outlook, a monthly bulletin of seasonal climate assessments and forecasts for temperature, precipitation, drought, and wildfire, including the río Conchos region. The partners initiated a pilot heat-health initiative in the cities of El Paso, Texas, Ciudad Júarez, Chihuahua, and Las Cruces, New Mexico, for the National Integrated Heat Health Information System. Extreme heat affects these border cities, and climate models project more frequent and hotter regional heat waves. The initiative has brought together climatologists, public health researchers and practitioners, and urban planners, to improve preparedness and responses to extreme heat. Participants are currently developing information services, outreach to vulnerable communities, and sustainable infrastructure projects to reduce urban heat.