San Diego shares nearly 60 miles of border with its neighbors to the south, stretching from the Pacific Ocean in Imperial Beach to the eastern part of the county near the Otay Mountain Wilderness.

While many news stories have highlighted the raw sewage issue affecting the Tijuana River Valley, where runoff pollutes the waters and beaches of San Diego’s South Bay cities, this is not the only challenge shared between San Diego and Mexico. The entire region exists within a unique climate, making it particularly vulnerable to the ongoing effects of climate change.

In the Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s annual lecture honoring Scripps Professor Charles David Keeling’s invaluable contributions to climate science, Teresa Cavazo presents an insightful overview of key climate drivers impacting the U.S.-Mexico western border region and explores how these factors are expected to evolve. From extreme weather to droughts, monsoon rains, the jet stream, and El Niño events, these climate variations pay no heed to artificial borders. However, adapting to climate change presents significant challenges, particularly south of the border. Delays in implementing equitable and feasible solutions could have severe consequences for both present and future generations.

Watch: Our Common Climate: Variability and Climate Change in the U.S.-Mexico Western Border Region.