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"A third U.S. National Climate Assessment was released Tuesday, and it featured information about New Mexico\u2019s future.The assessment was a part of President Barack Obama\u2019s Climate Action Plan.Here are highlights from the report:Snowpack and stream flow amounts are projected to decline, decreasing surface water supply reliability for cities, agriculture\u00A0and ecosystems.Reduced yields from increasing temperatures and increasing competition for scarce water supplies will displace jobs in some rural communities.Increased warming, drought, and insect outbreaks, all caused by or linked to climate change, have increased wildfires and impacts to people and ecosystems in the Southwest. Fire models project more wildfire and increased risks to communities across extensive areas.Increased frost-free season length, especially in already hot and moisture-stressed regions like the Southwest, is projected to lead to further heat stress on plants and increased water demands for crops.Projected regional temperature increases, combined with the way cities amplify heat, will pose increased threats and costs to public health in southwestern cities.Exposure to excessive heat can also aggravate existing human health conditions, like for those who suffer from respiratory or heart disease. Increased temperatures can reduce air quality, because atmospheric chemical reactions proceed faster in warmer conditions.The Southwest\u2019s 182 federally recognized tribes and communities in its U.S.-Mexico border region share particularly high vulnerabilities to climate changes such as high temperatures, drought, and severe storms. Tribes may face loss of traditional foods, medicines, and water supplies due to declining snowpack, increasing temperatures, and increasing drought. Historic land settlements and high rates of poverty \u2013 more than double that of the general U.S. population \u2013 constrain tribes\u2019 abilities to respond effectively to climate challenges.Prescribed burning, mechanical thinning\u00A0and retention of large trees can help some southwestern forest ecosystems adapt to climate change. These adaptation measures also reduce emissions of the gases that cause climate change because long-term storage of carbon in large trees can outweigh short-term emissions from prescribed burning.The assessment suggested that New Mexico invest in clean energy and improve efficiency to cut its carbon pollution.\u00A0"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.koat.com/article/report-climate-change-has-led-to-wildfire-increase/5056360>