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What Urban Planners Want to Know about Climate Change and Water Resources. What About Water Forum American Meteorological Society March 26, 2008. Climate Change Handbook. NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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What Urban Planners Want to Know about Climate Change and Water Resources
What About Water ForumAmerican Meteorological Society
March 26, 2008
Climate Change Handbook
NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center
UNC-Asheville’s Environmental Quality Institute and National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center
Climate Change Handbook
Climate change science
Climate change effects
Climate change responses in 8 planning areas
Communicating climate change
Source: Union of Concerned Scientists
Two Points
Why urban planners matter in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
What information do planners need to help address climate change impacts and severity with regard to water resources?
Role of Planners – Climate Change Mitigation
The graphic shows where electricity is used in the US
By the year 2035, three quarters of the built environment in the U.S. will be either new or renovated.
The AIA has a carbon neutral goal by 2030.
Source: American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Role of Planners – Climate Change Mitigation
Role of Planners – Climate Change Adaptation
Climate Change “Winners” and “Losers”
Climate change will result in migration of population.
Some communities will experience new investment and others will experience disinvestment as a result of climate change.
Climate Change Adaptation Disinvestment – identifying and living
within limits. Service limits, such as water supply. Fiscal limits – ability to pay.
New investment - growth management. Service limits, such as water supply. Fiscal limits – ability to pay. Policy limits – political willingness to
accommodate new growth.
What urban planners want to know
Certainty and uncertainty. Vulnerabilities of water systems:
Flooding. Inundation. Drought.
Opportunities: Agricultural practices. Underground storage. Technical or political fixes. Conservation.
Certainty and Uncertainty
Certainty and Uncertainty
Certainty and Uncertainty
A great deal depends on which emissions scenario actually materializes.
Perspective on Certainty
"Here's what I say: I don't need perfect, I need approximate. I’ll never be a scientist. I'm a policy maker. Our job is to ask, 'Do you think this might happen?' and when the answer is yes, that's sufficient for me."
Ron Sims, King County Executive, as quoted in Governing magazine
Water System Vulnerability to Flooding
Contamination of downstream water supplies.
Damage to water treatment systems.
Vulnerability to Inundation
Physical damage to or destruction of water treatment systems.
Contamination of groundwater and surface supplies from saltwater intrusion, diseases and pollutants.
Water System Vulnerability to Drought
Changes in precipitation amounts and intensity.
Changes in snowpack storage and release. Changes in reservoir storage. Changes in recharge of groundwater
sources.
Source: USGS
Water Resources Opportunities
Will changes to inefficient agricultural practices allow substantial diversion of water for potable purposes?
Where and under what circumstances do underground storage systems offer potential?
Water Resources Opportunities
What is the viability for:Use of saltwater sources? Interbasin transfers?Reuse of wastewater?Xeriscaping incentives?System upgrades and maintenance?
What is conservation’s real potential?
What Urban Planners Want to Know about Climate Change and Water Resources
What About Water ForumAmerican Meteorological Society
March 26, 2008
