Looking Forward: Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate
The report, titled Looking Forward: Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate [https://acwi.gov/climate_wkg/iwrcc/2016_nap_final_20161129.pdf] updates a 2011 national action plan and reaffirms the importance of continuing to improve the Nation’s resilience to extreme weather events and other impacts of a changing climate when managing our freshwater resources. I have mentioned this on a couple of our NCT calls over the past year.
More than a dozen Federal agencies are involved in some aspect of water resources management, all of which are undertaking various efforts to build the nation’s preparedness to extreme events. Given the inter-related nature of federal agencies’ respective programs, it is essential that they continue to work together to leverage resources and build upon each other’s work, with strong collaboration and communication with state and tribal governments and local communities.
The federal interagency Water Resources and Climate Change Workgroup that produced the report outlines priority actions to make progress on the following recommendations:
Data and Research
- Sustain and expand existing monitoring networks and data collection on hydrologic and meteorological conditions and water demand.
- Modernize statistical analyses of observational data sets so that climate changes that have already occurred are recognized in water resources decision-making.
- Improve reliability and accessibility of water-related projections of future conditions.
- Enhance water supply and reduce water use through innovative technologies
Planning and Decision Support
- Advance regional coordination among Federal water resource management agencies to support climate change adaptation and resilience efforts.
- Develop guidance and provide assistance to communities and water resource managers on use of climate change information and tools for assessing vulnerability and facility resilience.
Training and Outreach
- Increase involvement in the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit Water Theme.
- Sustain and build upon the existing Professional Development Series for Water Resource Professionals on Climate Change Principles and Practices.
- Engage State Water Resource Research Institutes on Building Climate Resilience.
The co-chairs of the Workgroup are:
- Michael Shapiro, Deputy Assistant Administrator, USEPA Office of Water
- Charles Kovatch, Deputy Associate Director for Water, White House Council on Environmental Quality
- Wayne Higgens, Director, NOAA Climate Program Office, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
- Jerad Bales, former Chief Scientist for Water, U.S. Geological Survey (retired)
