Adaptation as a Water Resource Policy Challenge —Institutions and Science

Abstract

Adaptation is the pursuit of active, deliberate measures to enhance humankind’s capacity to manage water supply and attenuate demand in the face of climate uncertainty. This article contends that worsening constraints upon freshwater due to climate variability demand concerted, imaginative, science-based solutions. These solutions must join creative management to co-production of climate knowledge. Through a series of case studies, we analyze the need for adaptation approaches to prevail over climate variability, and the role of these factors to facilitate their implementation. We also examine how translation of climate knowledge is helping spur adaptation at various spatial levels. These experiences point to the challenges in adaptation, and the adversity various regions will be faced if we do not.

Share and Cite:

D. Feldman, "Adaptation as a Water Resource Policy Challenge —Institutions and Science," Journal of Water Resource and Protection, Vol. 5 No. 4A, 2013, pp. 1-6. doi: 10.4236/jwarp.2013.54A001.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1] Climate Institute, “Water and Climate Change,” 2010. http://www.climate.org/topics/water.html
[2] P. H. Gleick and M. Heberger, “The Coming Mega Drought,” Scientific American, Vol. 306, No. 1, 2012, pp. 1-14.
[3] D. Satterthwaite, “Will Most People Live in Cities?” British Medical Journal, Vol. 321, No. 7269, 2000, pp. 1143-1145. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid+1118907 doi:10.1136/bmj.321.7269.1143
[4] United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), “State of World Population 2007: Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth,” United Nations Population Fund, New York, 2007.
[5] New York City Department of Environmental Protection, “2010 Drinking Water Supply and Quality Report,” Department of Environmental Protection, Flushing, 2010. http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/wsstate10.pdf
[6] New York City, Department of Environmental Protection, “Drought Management Plan and Rules,” 1998.
[7] New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, “New York City Watershed Program,” 2010. http://www.dec.ny.gov/land58597.htm
[8] New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, “Facts about the New York City Watershed,” 2010. http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/58524.html
[9] H. Shultz, “Some Facts on the New York City Water and Sewer Supply System,” Citizens’ Housing and Planning Council, New York, 2007.
[10] Bureau of Waterworks, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, “Water Supply in Tokyo,” 2011. http://www.waterworks.metro.tokyo.jp/eng/supply/index.html
[11] H. Blanco, et al., “The Role of Urban Land in Climate Change,” Climate Change and Cities: First Assessment Report of the Urban Climate Change Research Network, 2007, p. 240.
[12] Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, “Mandatory Water Conservation—Fact Sheet,” 2009.
[13] Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, “Urban Water Management Plan,” 2010. www.ladwp.com
[14] Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, “The Story of the Los Angeles Aqueduct,” 2010. http://wsoweb.ladwp.com/Aqueduct/historyoflaa/
[15] T. M. Downs, “Sustainability of Least Cost Policies for Meeting Mexico City’s Future Water Demand,” Water Resources Research, Vol. 36, No. 8, 2000, pp. 2321-2339. doi:10.1029/1999WR900234
[16] C. Tortajada and E. Casteian, “Water Management for a Megacity: Mexico City Metropolitan Area,” Ambio, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2003, pp. 124-129.
[17] Institut de Recherche pour la Developpement, “Water Supplies to Mexico City,” 2012. http://en.ird.fr/the-research/the-research-projects/water-supplies-to-mexico-city
[18] M. J. Chiroma, D. Yahaya, D. Kazaure, B. Yahya, A. Karaye and J. Gashua, “Water Management Issues in the Hadejia-Jama’are-Komadugu-Yobe Basin: DFID-JWL and Stakeholders Experience in Information Sharing, Reaching Consensus and Physical Interventions.” http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/research_impacts/Research_Themes/BasinWaterManagement/
RIPARWIN/PDFs/14%20Muhammad%20Chiroma%20SS%20FINAL%20EDIT.pdf
[19] B. Lankford, “Facilitation of Water Sharing Arrangements in the Hadejia Jama’are Komadugu Yobe Basin (HJKYB)—With the River Basin Game Dialogue Tool,” Overseas Development Group (ODG), School of Development Studies, University of East Anglia, Norwich, 2005.
[20] D. Belt, “The Coming Storm,” National Geographic, Vol. 219, No. 5, 2012, pp. 58-83.
[21] S. Robinson, “How Bangladesh Survived a Flood,” New York Times, 2007. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1685330,00.html#ixzz1ctqiWiPs
[22] Living Victoria Ministerial Advisory Council, Department of Sustainability and Environment; Victorian Gov- ernment, “Living Melbourne, Living Victoria Roadmap,” 2011.
[23] Murray-Darling Basin Authority, “About MDB Initiative,” Canberra City, 2002. http://www.mdbc.gov.au/about/governance/agreement_history.htm
[24] N. Martin, “Watershed Management in the Murray Darling Basin, Australia,” C. W. Slaughter and N. Berg, Eds., Proceedings of the Ninth Biennial Watershed Management Council Conference, Oakland, 2006, University of California Water Resources Center Report No. 107, pp. 51-56.
[25] L. Vasek and L. Wilson, “’Long-Overdue’ Murray-Darling Basin Plan Becomes Law,” The Australian, 2012. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/murray-darling-crisis/long-overdue-murray-darling-basin-plan-becomes-law /story-e6frg6px-1226521990067
[26] (ICLEI) International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives, “Municipal leaders’ Communiqué to the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change,” Berlin, 1995.
[27] (ICLEI) International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives, “ICLEI’s Climate Resilient Communities Program Addresses Adaptation, Vulnerabilities,” ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability, 2007. http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1487&tx_ttnews
[28] (ICLEI) International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives, “ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability: Local Solutions to Global Challenges,” ICLEI Center, Bonn, 2010.
[29] H. Selin and S. D. VanDeveer, “Climate Leadership in Northeast North America,” In: H. Selin and S. D. Van-Deveer, Eds., Changing Climates in North American Politics, MIT Press, Cambridge, 2009, pp. 11-135.
[30] M. C. Lemos and J. L. F. Oliveira, “Can Water Reform Survive Politics? Institutional Change and River Basin Management in Ceara, Northeast Brazil,” World Development, Vol. 32, No. 12, 2004, pp. 2121-2137. doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2004.08.002
[31] M. C. Lemos and J. L. F. Oliveira, “Water Reform across the State/Society Divide: The Case of Ceara, Brazil,” International Journal of Water Resources Development, Vol. 21, No. 1, 2005, pp. 93-107.
[32] “Nile Basin Initiative,” 2010. http://www.nilebasin.org
[33] “The Rights to the River,” The Sustainable Water Resources E-Journal, 2009. www.waterresource.co.za/index.php?option=com_Content
[34] J. Fleishman and K. Linthicum, “Demands on the Nile imperil Egypt’s Lifeline,” Los Angeles Times, 2010, pp. A-1, 6-7.

Copyright © 2024 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.