Decisions about water use must reflect changing trends in the local hydroclimate

Lots of climate research focuses on averages over large areas—often the globe as a whole—but many decisions related to the environment and water availability are made by local authorities. Zooming in on these regional levels can be difficult. The water cycle is complex to begin with, and climate models often get conflicting results at the regional scale. Further, natural variability is "noisier" when looking so closely at an area, and even strong trends may not show up decisively against the variable backdrop.