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The Climate Change Strategic Initiative Objectives

Each of the Foundation’s strategic initiatives is based on several specific objectives that represent problems to be solved or opportunities to be attained by the initiative. The following four objectives, which are summarized below, have been established for the Climate Change Strategic Initiative (CC SI). All projects funded under the CC SI will contribute to meeting one or more of these objectives.

OBJECTIVE #1

Enhance and improve water industry awareness of climate change issues and impacts

There are well-recognized uncertainties regarding the magnitude of global climate change and its local-scale hydrologic effects. These uncertainties arise not only from our inability to foresee the future path of global emissions, but also from uncertainties in climate model representations of complex atmospheric process, changes in storm tracks, and other important processes. Thus, global warming serves to increase the level of uncertainty faced by decision makers who must, among other things, assess and secure water supplies and make critical capital investment decisions on planning horizons ranging from as little as ten to perhaps 100 years. When confronted with the prospect of such increased uncertainty, a utility manager may feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to evaluate the risks and assess options.

The water industry is increasingly aware of the need to use climate change information in its planning, but needs assistance processing the available data and knowledge being developed by the climate change research community. The CC SI will develop guidance that will help water utilities interpret, navigate and effectively utilize available climate change information. It will also help water utilities develop comprehensive, integrated planning strategies and actions to plan for, adapt to and manage the imperatives and challenges of climate change.

OBJECTIVE #2

Provide water utilities with a set of tools to identify and assess their vulnerabilities, and develop effective adaptation strategies

Risk management tools, guidance, and illustrative applications are needed to help utilities better assess and manage their climate-related risks. For climate change, the potential sources of utility risk are diverse (e.g., severe droughts, floods, water quality challenges), the probabilities and consequences of adverse events are often highly uncertain and potentially severe, and any portion of the water utility may be at risk (e.g., from source to tap). It is critical that water utilities identify and prioritize the key threats, and begin to consider response and adaptation options that target the most significant risks.

Given the degree of uncertainty and high stakes risk-cost tradeoffs that climate change may impose on water utilities, a range of practical decision support tools are essential for helping water utilities manage these risks. The CC SI will develop flexible tools and approaches to help water utilities identify, assess, and prioritize climate risks (e.g., a climate-oriented vulnerability assessment process/tool), and develop effective adaptation strategies.

OBJECTIVE #3

Provide water utilities with a set of tools to assess and minimize their carbon footprint

Water utilities are increasingly challenged to implement green and sustainable design principles and practices and account for GHGe in their operations. Currently, the water industry does not have adequate GHGe reduction strategies and may be at risk from changing obligations and higher abatement and mitigation costs. The CC SI will develop flexible tools and approaches to help utilities to assess and mitigate GHGe.

OBJECTIVE #4

Communicate information to internal/external stakeholders

The issues of climate change and greenhouse gas emission continue to generate considerable controversy, with new and sometimes conflicting information released on a regular basis. In addition, m any water utilities are municipally owned and governed by elected or appointed officials who may have misconceptions about or be subjected to political pressure regarding climate change. This means that utilities must adapt to the true impacts of climate change in an environment where the level of climate change awareness, beliefs, and expectations may vary widely among customers and other stakeholders. As water utilities develop programs to address the resource, infrastructure, and financing challenges presented by climate change, they must communicate with and build support within their customer base and governing bodies. Effective and consistent customer/stakeholder communications are built upon an awareness of customer/stakeholder expectations, viewpoints, and levels of knowledge. The CC SI will provide guidance and tools for water utilities to successfully communicate the true impacts of climate change. Additionally, the initiative will coordinate its effort with public and private stakeholders to evaluate the research being done and develop a collaborative research agenda that complements ongoing and completed work.

Back To: The Climate Change Strategic Initiative of the Foundation