A correlation between Idaho’s economy and climate change

MOSCOW — More than four years ago, the Idaho Climate Summit inadvertently exposed a dearth of information about the economic impacts of climate change in the Gem State.

A series of reports released in December from the McClure Center for Public Policy Research at the University of Idaho sought to fill that gap, according to Katherine Himes, director of the McClure Center.

“The assessment is the result of two years of work,” Himes said. “It’s really something made in Idaho for Idaho.”

Compiled by researchers at UI, Boise State University and Idaho State University, the assessment connects the latest scientific data on climate change with economic risks and opportunities to help business leaders and policy makers in the state plan for a more resilient future.

During the latest League of Women Voters of Moscow speaker series Wednesday, Himes said the nonpartisan resource can help generate solutions at a local level.

“The McClure Center led this work, but there were many, many partners,” she said. “We really wanted to have broad geographic representation to make sure it didn’t feel like this was something coming from the Treasure Valley.”

The assessment focused on six major sectors: agriculture, human health, recreation and tourism, energy, infrastructure and land. It also features data on climate, water and wildfire smoke.

Megan Foster, a postdoctoral fellow at the McClure Center, said Idaho is projected to experience an increase in temperatures, spring precipitation and rain-on-snow events.

The state also can expect a decrease in snowpack, summer precipitation and soil moisture.

“Idaho is also projected to experience an increase in extreme weather events,” Foster said. “For example, decreasing summer precipitation and increasing temperature can lead to more droughts. Increasing winter and spring precipitation, as well as earlier peak streamflow and rain-on-snow events can cause floods, landslides and mudslides.”

An increase in temperatures combined with lower summer precipitation can also lead to more wildfire activity, affecting air quality and putting previously burned areas at risk of mudslides.

Foster detailed how these changes can impact Idaho’s various economic sectors.

With agriculture, there’s an increased risk of heat stress and illness in livestock. In addition, rising temperatures and lower precipitation can create a greater demand for summer irrigation, which increases energy demand at a time when hydropower may be affected by lower summer streamflow.

Not to mention, traditional methods of crop storage may not suffice, upping the need for temperature-controlled storage for potatoes.

“Idaho has one of the highest rates of population growth in the U.S.,” Foster said. “Energy demand, particularly in summer, will increase. The assessment provides a listing of tools and resources for further exploration.”

More information, including the entire contents of the Idaho Climate-Economy Impacts Assessment, can be found on UI’s website.

Palermo can be reached at apalermo@dnews.com or on Twitter @apalermotweets.