IWR Contributes to Interagency Report on Climate Change and Water Resources

ALEXANDRIA, VA – February 10, 2009. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Bureau of Reclamation, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a joint report, “Climate Change and Water Resources Management: A Federal Perspective.” Dr. Rolf Olsen, from the Institute for Water Resources, and Dr. Kate White, from the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab, were the co-authors from USACE.

The circular represents a joint effort by the two principal water resources management agencies and the two principal earth science data collection agencies of the U.S. government. The report is technical in nature and does not focus on policy or budgetary perspectives. It presents the best available science to help water managers prepare for and adapt to the effects of climate change on the nation’s water resources. The report is available online at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1331/.

Climate change affects the fundamental drivers of the hydrologic cycle. The effects of climate change differ from region to region and combine with factors such as population growth and changing land use to impact water resources projects. A holistic approach to water resources management includes all significant drivers of change. These impacts may require changed design and operational assumptions about resource supplies, system demands or performance requirements, and operational constraints.

There will continue to be uncertainty about future climate. Adopting alternatives that perform well over a wide range of future scenarios could improve system flexibility. Practicing an adaptive management approach would allow managers to make decisions sequentially over time, and may be especially useful to cope with the uncertainties of climate change. These approaches to water management would be most effective if combined with enhanced research and monitoring to improve understanding of the effects of climate change on a global and local scale.

At the media event to announce the release of the report, Mr. Steve Stockton, the Director of Civil Works, said “It’s the role of water management agencies such as ours to consider the likelihood of, and adapt to, climate variability, especially to climate extremes such as floods and droughts.” He continued, “Clearly there’s a need for robust and adaptive infrastructure, and as such, we’re planning and designing our water resources projects today to ensure that they are sustainable to future extreme events. We’re also working to ensure our existing water resources projects are operated more sustainably, allowing greater flexibility in adapting to shifts in climatic trends.”

Learn more:

• Climate Change and Water Resources Management Report