Researchers from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) say that the increasing droughts are caused by greenhouse gases and aerosol pollution. … Lead author Felicia Chiang, who conducted the project as a UCI graduate student in civil & environmental engineering, said: “There has always been natural variability in drought events around the world, but our research shows the clear human influence on drying, specifically from anthropogenic aerosols, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.”

Experts have also found that the [LA] river’s flood protection abilities need shoring up, especially as the region sees more intense storms due to climate change.