In low-income countries of the tropics undergoing rapid growth, global warming presents major challenges to the expansion and sustainability of water supplies required to advance progress toward the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Substantial uncertainty persists, however, in projections of precipitation under climate change. What is the impact of this transition on terrestrial water balances and specifically the replenishment of groundwater, often the only perennial source of freshwater in drylands? What is the evidence to date from observations and how do these compare to models used to project climate change impacts? How might these changes impact freshwater demand? This seminar will interrogate these questions and review mounting empirical evidence from long-term transdisciplinary research in these environments.

This event is sponsored by the Science Policy Fellows Program at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy.