Arid Lands & Resources

Our interdisciplinary faculty study ecological, economic and social factors that influence sustainable use of arid and semi-arid lands and resources. UArizona programs integrate multiple disciplines and technologies to analyze changing conditions in arid regions.

Our research

Announcing the 2022 AIR Resilience Grants Recipients

On October 28, 2021, the Arizona Institutes for Resilience (AIR) awarded Resilience Grants totaling nearly $400,000 to seven teams representing six UArizona colleges and 10 departments or units. The grants are funded by the Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF), administered by the Office of Research, Innovation & Impact and AIR, and supported through Arizona sales tax revenues.

Diana Githu in front of a wall of leaves

Carson Scholar Diana Githu Embodies What It Means To Be An Environmentalist

Wildfires are roaring in the west – but not all of them are bad

Another large fire season is casting smoke across the country, with conditions ripe for major devastation. But not all fires are bad, and the widespread burning also brings long-term benefits.

Can the Southwest survive with less water?

Sometime next month, for the first time, the federal government is likely to declare a water shortage at Lake Mead.

'The West is a tinderbox': Heat and drought set the stage for the huge wildfires burning across the region

June’s record-breaking heatwave was the final ingredient needed for explosive wildfire growth. Fire experts say things could still get much worse.

How will cities adapt to extreme heat?

Heatwaves are getting worse. Can urban America stay cool?

Sally feeding a bird

Sally Rivera on the importance of environmental education, for everyone

'You put yourself in incredible peril': Extreme heat can be deadly for border crossers, officials warn

In the scorching heat, against the backdrop of a vehicle barrier separating the United States from Mexico, officials from federal agencies in both countries came together to explain the dangers of crossing their shared border.

Climate change made Arizona's heat wave worse. And it won't be the last one.

The intensity and duration of heat are bad signs for the future.