Climate change has and continues to intensify droughts and floods, change rainfall patterns and timing as well as reduce snowpack resulting in major implications for water resources availability and management. At the same time, competition for water resources among urban, agricultural and environmental uses has been impacted not only by climate change but also by socioeconomic development and legal and regulatory frameworks. Researchers in the Climate Adaptation Research Center are working to create adaptive strategies to ensure the resilience and sustainability of water infrastructure, quality, and quantity in the face of climate change in California, the US and beyond.

Faculty involved: Prof Mark Lubell

As climate change threatens agriculture and rural communities it is essential to find ways to make crops and livestock more resilient, restore soil structure, maintain good water quality, and improve natural supply and distribution of community resources. Researchers in the Climate Adaptation Research Center are working to better understand future climate risks to crops in California and across the world and identify potential adaptation strategies, including climate-crop modeling and applying sequencing technologies to investigate pan-genomic diversity in these crops and working with breeders to understand and improve their adaptation to climate change.

Faculty involved: Prof Grey Monroe, Prof Erwan Monier

Every sector of the economy depends on energy and are at substantial risk of disruption fromclimate change because all components of the energy system, i.e. energy production, supply, delivery and demand, are affected by climate and extreme weather events such storms, extreme heat and droughts. The energy sector is also quickly evolving driven by policy, market, and technological forces and a move toward a clean energy portfolio. The research center is working toward quantifying the climate and extreme weather impacts on the energy system, understanding the vulnerabilities arising from the energy system transformation and improving energy system resilience.

Faculty involved: Prof Mark Lubell

Faculty involved: Prof Mark Lubell

Faculty involved: Prof Mark Lubell

Faculty involved: Prof Mark Lubell

Faculty involved: Prof Mark Lubell

Faculty involved: Prof Mark Lubell

Faculty involved: Prof Mark Lubell

Faculty involved: Prof Mark Lubell

Faculty involved: Prof Mark Lubell

Faculty involved: Prof Mark Lubell

Faculty involved: Prof Mark Lubell