Researchers from the Colorado River Basin, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Denver have found that demand management techniques may not be effective enough due to climate change. The study looked at three cities to determine how each could increase demand management amid water shortages. The findings suggest that the region needs to consider larger solutions. The Colorado River, which provides drinking water to nearly 40 million people and irrigation for over 5.5 million acres of cropland, has experienced a significant drop in water availability in recent decades due to rising demand for water and a long-running megadrought in the Southwest. Researchers found that while demand management policies can be successful during a scarcity period, water consumption can increase afterwards. However, they also found that climate change projections could lead to less water supply under a moderately reduced scenario.