Water Sector Resilience and Adaptation in the Face of Climate Extremes

The following updates and information all relate to this important topic:

• Report Discusses How Climate and Extreme Weather Events Impact Water Sector: A recently released report entitled, “Water/Wastewater Utilities and Extreme Climate and Weather Events: Case Studies on Community Response, Lessons Learned, Adaptation, and Planning Needs for the Future” examines how water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities –and other local water resource managers — make decisions in response to recent extreme weather events. The report is based on the results of six local workshops, organized to include participants that experienced different types of extreme events throughout a river basin or watershed in various regions of the U.S.  The study examines what happened, how information was used to inform decisions, what institutional dynamics helped or hindered, and how water utilities and their communities plan to manage impacts and build resiliency for future extreme events. The research was jointly sponsored by EPA, NOAA, Water Environment Research Foundation, Water Research Foundation, Concurrent Technologies Corporation, and Noblis. To access the report, visit: http://cpo.noaa.gov/sites/cpo/SARP/CC7C11%20web.pdf.
• S. Geological Survey Announces “Climate Matters” Newsletter: “Climate Matters” is a new semi-annual publication featuring current activities in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Climate Research & Development Program. The newsletter highlights recent research findings and their relevance to societal needs, as well as issues of importance for resource managers, policy makers, and the general public. To view the first issue, visit: http://www.usgs.gov/climate_landuse/clu_rd/newsletter/default.asp.

Summary of Water Resilience Summit:  The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) hosted a Water Resilience Summit on April 9-10, 2014 in Washington, D.C., as part of Water Week 2014. At the Summit, key municipal and federal agency leaders convened a two-day discussion to examine the array of challenges facing utilities in light of climate change and to outline the policy and advocacy steps and collaborative actions that could be taken to improve resilience.   To read the outcomes of the Summit discussions, visit: http://www.nacwa.org/images/stories/public/2014-07-09waterresiliencesummitsummary.pdf.