NASA photo
Lead CCASS Contact: Gregg Garfin
Urban areas of the Southwest US are particularly vulnerable to health risks from extreme heat. A project focused on the Rio Grande/Bravo Basin border cities (including El Paso, Texas, Ciudad Juarez, and Las Cruces, New Mexico), is seeking ways to increase preparedness and capacity to adapt to extreme high temperatures and heat waves. The initiative aims to:
- Identify key heat-health parameters and target populations for early warning;
- Assess capacity for coordinated heat-health early warning;
- Facilitate the sharing of best practices for sharing climate forecasts and information to reduce vulnerabilities;
- Integrate a community of practice and mutual learning within the region;
Partners: National Weather Forecast Office; city and county officials in El Paso County, Texas, Doña Ana County (New Mexico), and Ciudad Juárez (Chihuahua); state officials from New Mexico, Texas, and Chihuahua; public health departments on both sides of the border; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); and academic partners throughout the region.