ABSTRACT
R egional response to climate variability and change can be usefully viewed from a resilience framework (Nelson et al. 2007). Whereas study of adaptation concentrates on microlevel adjustments, a resilience framework follows a systems approach. Resilience measures a system's ability to undergo changes while still serving its fundamental functions. Here we might consider the southwestern United States or, more specifically, management of water resources in the Colorado or Upper Rio Grande River Basin as the system. A fundamental function of this system is balancing water and energy supplies and demands in the face of population growth and climate change.
