Download - water resources planning

Transcript

WATER RESOURCES

PLANNING

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS EFFECT ON

WATER RESOURCES

Is Climate Change Real?

•Yes, and it is happening

Who Responsible For This?

•Human

What Is Climate Change?

• The Rise In Average Surface Temperatures On Earth, Mostly Due To The Burning Of Fossil Fuels

• Result From Either Natural Factors Or Human Activities - refers To Any Significant Change In Weather Patterns Lasting For An Extended Period Of Time, Typically 30 Years Or Longer

How Climate Change

Happen?

Burning Of Fossil Fuels

Agriculture

Deforestation

Some Quantities Of These Gases

Are A Naturally Occurring

Vulnerability Of Water

Resources To Climate Change

Changes to water supplies

Increased amounts of

water pollution

Risks to water & wastewater infrastructure & operations

Degradation of watersheds

Ocean acidification

Multiple impacts in

coastal areas

IMPACTS

Droughts, changing in precipitation patterns and

snowmelt, increased evaporation cause changes

in water availability

Sea-level rise and salt water intrusion into

groundwater aquifers

Warmer air temperature create increased demand

for water

MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES

Costs to find alternative water supplies

Encouraging customer to support water conservation

Need to develop ‘non traditional’ water supplies

Increased competition for stressed water supplies

CHANGES TO WATER SUPPLIES

INCREASED WATER POLLUTION

IMPACTS

• Warmer water holds less oxygen, increasing instances of low oxygen levels

• More storm water runoff and sewer overflows, carrying pollutants to waterways, and causing erosion and sedimentation

• Dry periods and drought, lowering stream flow and reducing waterways ability to handle pollutant discharges

MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES

• Ensuring pollutants discharges meet CWA water quality goals

• Controlling flooding and sewer overflows

• Protecting in stream flows and water temperatures to pressure biodiversity

• Overcome barriers to adopting green infrastructure practices

RISKS TO INFRASTRUCTURE & OPERATIONS

IMPACTS

Expanded flood hazard areas, risking damage to water treatment

infrastructure

Damage to distribution and collection pipelines due to both drier soils and

erosion from storm

Operations of water treatment system complicated by unusual changes in

temperature. Flows, sedimentation, salt water intrusions, etc.

MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES

Aging infrastructure and population growth combined with climate risks

Paying for maintenance and operations, responding to emergencies, and

conducting long term climate planning

Adopting finance policies and risk assessment tools that can be integrated

into asset management plans

Investing in emergency planning and long term risk management

WATERSHED DEGRADATION

IMPACTS

• Changes in precipitation and increased evaporation are likely to change flows to lakes and streams, affecting the extent and quality of wetlands, lakes, and estuaries

• Declining groundwater levels due to withdrawals and reduced recharge are likely to reducestream flows

• Temperature and other changes will affect habitat for certain species, such as cold-water fish

MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES

• Protecting healthy and intact watersheds

• Restoring ecological integrity of waters already under stress from urbanization

• Maintaining ecosystem services provided by watersheds and wetlands

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION

Ocean become 30% acidic at rate 10 of 100 times greater than pre-industrial times

Affects shellfish and coral reefs, contributing to economic impacts

Combined with other reasons, 75% of world’s coral reefs are threatened

IMPACTS

Understanding the ecological and economic impacts of acidification

Reducing land and air sources of pollutants that exacerbate acidification

Finding ways to protect shellfish, coral reefs, and other sensitive organisms

MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES

COASTAL IMPACTS

IMPACTS

Rising sea levels moving shorelines by inundating lowlands, displacing wetlands, and altering tidal rangesStorm surges, combined with sea-level rise, increasing the areas subject to periodic inundation and saltwater intrusion into groundwater andWater pollution and increased absorption of carbon dioxide creating coastal zone “hotspots” of acidification and hypoxia

MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES

Finding optimum strategies for retrofitting, protecting or moving infrastructure

Communicating risk to residents in vulnerable areas

Protecting habitats sea levels rise