Communities in the arid southwest region of the U.S. are experiencing increased aridification, drought, and extreme precipitation events, causing property damage, putting lives at risk, and disrupting local economies. The natural infrastructure approach features measures and techniques that use ecosystem processes to reduce flood risk, increase resilience, and improve water security in arid environments. However, current understanding of natural infrastructure measures is mostly limited to ocean coasts and temperate regions, resulting in a lack of confidence in the applicability, costs, and benefits of these measures in the nation’s arid southwest. This report summarizes findings from the Arid Southwest Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBFs) Playbook workshop in Albuquerque, New Mexico, May 7–8, 2025. Practitioners discussed challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of NNBF in the arid environment. The workshop focused on three project process themes: project purposes and authorities, design and implementation, and monitoring and measures of success, and documented strategies and barriers for each process. Design resources and case studies were identified as examples of NNBF implementation. The result is a review of the current state of the practice and documentation of recommendations made during the workshop.
