Arizona’s 19-year drought and climate change

The desert southwest is known for its hot triple-digit summers, which may be tough to live through.

Between 2006 to 2016, about 1,193 people died from excessive heat in Arizona, this is according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Arizona is also experiencing a 19-year drought that isn’t improving. Unlike wildfires and monsoon season, the drought may not be immediately visible.

Scientists believe climate change is affecting the decreasing water levels at the Colorado River.

Ph.D. Professor Of Environmental Sciences at Arizona Western College, Laura Alexander, said, “We’re anticipating here in the desert southwest, increasing temperatures, faster evaporation rates, less moisture increasing competition for diminishing water supplies.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Colorado River provides water to nearly 40 million people for municipal use. As the levels continue to drop, water supplies to Los Angeles, San Diego, Calif., Phoenix, and Yuma, Ariz., are threatening.

Climate Central, a non-profit organization that analyzes climate science, has been examining 244 weather stations across the U.S. from 1970 to 2018.

Based on their findings, they found that average winter temperatures rose by at least one-degree Fahrenheit during that time. In Yuma, winter temperatures saw an increase of 2.1 degrees.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, it’s the rapid increase in these greenhouse gases found in the atmosphere, such as:

water vapor carbon dioxide methane nitrous oxide Chlorofluorocarbons This is warming the planet at an alarming rate.

Doctor Alexander said, “It’s just going to get warmer and warmer.”

Doctor Francisco Villa, from the Northern Arizona University, said some of these molecules derive from burning fossil fuels, such as,

“Oil, oil products so diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, plastics are often derived from fossil fuel those are the big components.”

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey recently signed the drought contingency plan.

Arizona gets nearly 40 percent of its water from Lake Mead and will now join six other western states and Mexico to conserve more water.

During Governor Ducey’s State of the State address, he expressed the severity of the drought, “Bottom line we’re in a 19-year drought, it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

The Phoenix City Council recently approved a six percent water rate increase starting February 2019 and then another six percent for 2020.

This was done due to shortages looming on the Colorado River. According to the Yuma city officials, there are no plans for an increase.

Looking towards the future, Doctor Alexander explains that with the increase of our temperature, the rate of evaporation will increase which she said may change our economy.

“It’s gonna change our economy as time goes on. Change where and how we can plant. Change how much water we have access to for planting,” said Doctor Alexander.

Doctor Villa said the hardest part with climate change is taking time to understand it.

“The science is pretty solid and so now let’s think about what are some conversations we can have to help the best remedy, mitigate these foreseeable outcomes.”