The Future of Water Resources
How to mitigate the detrimental effects of global warming and water management is a priority in many parts of the world - Europe, Australia and the United States. In the U.S. agencies are collaborating to inform urban water management teams about the realities of climate change and how to meet the challenges of both too much and too little water around the globe.
As the reality of climate change and its effects on natural resources become more apparent, the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report has caught the attention of the water management community and the general public on climate change and its effects on water availability and quality. Several major utilities in the western states are adopting a leadership role in planning for adaptation to the impacts of climate change. In January 2007, some of the country’s leading city water providers met in San Francisco dubbing themselves “The Group of Eight” with a goal of leading and implementing proactive solutions to climate change adaptation. The process started with ideas on how to reduce the cumulative effects of greenhouse gases resulting from delivering potable water and wastewater treatment facilities.
Public utilities recognize the tremendous changes in water resources from global warming. A risk management approach is the best defense against the effects of climate change on their local water resources. Efforts to develop methods for effectively managing climate change risks are an important component in water utility planning. At the National Center for Atmospheric Research a group of water utility agencies have commenced a pilot project to outline different scenarios for managing future changes in regional water resources. The project is focused on both an assessment process and a correlating decision tree to help water utilities plan for a myriad of climate change possibilities. Attention to the ramifications of known and unknown changes will help prepare us for the future. While we cannot project every possible scenario posed by climate change we do have the chance to make comprehensive plans that are executable, able to handle future variables and changing circumstances. Global warming and the resulting effects are problems that every country needs to solve. Most everyone on the planet can make small changes in how we use water to help ensure a healthy future for us all.
