Metropolitan Planning Council’s Post

Please read this excellent article from my former colleague Ryan Wilson in Crain's Chicago Business. A more extreme climate with greater variation in seasonal temperatures and precipitation has a big impact on the water infrastructure that you rely on every day. We take for granted the miracle of having almost unlimited clean water, at a desired temperature, on demand. We take for granted that our sewage district can handle overflow events and that our green infrastructure keeps the water in the ground and out of our houses. When that water infrastructure isn't working - we are immediately and negatively affected. "Our utilities are grappling with many of the same challenges that burden other government institutions: finding sustainable sources of revenue and managing debt, attracting and retaining talent, and integrating 21st-century science and technology into their operations. Tack on generational infrastructure issues — a never-ending list of repairs to pipe leaks and breaks, removing toxic lead from drinking water systems, modernizing century-old water treatment facilities — and it is no surprise that capacity is stretched thin at a time when we most need utilities to think outside the box."

DWR just released their latest projection of climate change impacts on State Water Project supplies - which serve more than 27 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland in California. DWR projects that supplies will decrease by up to 23% in the next 20 years. That's why the state needs to invest in more surface and groundwater storage and improvements in conveyance to get runoff to these locations. We are promoting the action plan required by SB 366 as a mechanism to implement these investments. https://lnkd.in/gM5jTkp5

“We need the full rainbow of solutions in our toolbox” It is fact across the water sector that the level of crisis and climate changing is making our conventional solutions very risky. This means we need to invest in a variety of solutions, including a combination of both gray infrastructure (traditional “built” infrastructure, such as stormwater drains or water treatment plants) and nature-based solutions (NBS), which conserve and restore critical natural infrastructure such as forests, wetlands, grasslands, and mangroves. These landscapes store and filter water, and they protect against water-related disasters. I suggest and share this article to disseminate ideas and good practices around the globe. We are contributing with the idea in São Paulo, on how we are restoring natural reservoirs and wetlands to mitigate flood risk in the Alto Tietê River Basin. Thanks for the partnership: Forest Trends Association Gena Gammie Verena Manolis

Adaptive thinking, design innovation, and systemic solutions are needed to help reframe the climate crisis as an opportunity to push ahead with projects that generate multiple co-benefits for communities, economies, nature, and livelihoods, a new report asserts. https://lnkd.in/eKP6mYvd

A cautionary tale that lays out the challenge of climate change across the globe. The dangers of unchecked growth, political denial and a crumbling system are explicit in this city of 23 million. We should be scared. How can we learn from this experience? And focus on the infrastructure needs of the world.

SOLUTIONS FOR URBAN DRAINAGE AND WATER INFILTRATION IN THE GROUND The growth model of cities on our planet, in general, opted for a road infrastructure for waterproofing pavements, sometimes built in concrete, asphalt layer, and other materials. As a result, the volumes that could previously be retained in the soil end up having their surface runoff, up to the topographically lowest points in the urban network. With this, for example, we have two major problems caused by the waterproofing of soil in cities. 1º The volume of rainwater that would be retained in the soil ends up not infiltrating the soil, that is, not supplying our water and artesian sources, as well as our springs; 2º The lack of adequate urban drainage will provide a high speed of surface runoff of these rainwaters, causing soil erosion, sediment transport and compromising the beds of water bodies, reducing their gutters, and consequently, modifying the areas of floods, and increasing flood spots. The form already studied in Urban Engineering, in the course at UFSCar – São Carlos Campus, consists of several completely adequate and objective solutions. One of them is the implementation of permeable pavements, drainage points in public areas, squares, road construction sites, public and private land, residential backyards, areas of commercial, industrial, residential and logistics buildings. These are measures that URBAN PLANNING should adopt in its master plan for Brazilian cities, as an example. Engº José Antonio S. Gonçalves.'. DAEE/SP - DBPG - Ribeirão Preto, SP.

🌍💧 As water-related climate impacts intensify, the urgency for long-term, resilient solutions grows. The recent #WorldWaterForum10 offered key insights into this challenge. Economic losses from droughts between 2020-2022 nearly matched those of the previous 20 years. Traditional water infrastructure is proving inadequate against these new extremes. 🌊🛠️ Experts at the forum highlighted the need for a diverse approach, combining traditional gray infrastructure with nature-based solutions (NBS) like restoring forests, wetlands, and mangroves. These natural elements help store and filter water, protecting against disasters. 🌿🏞️ Fred Van Heems of Aquafed emphasized the need for "the full rainbow of solutions." NBS are crucial but often face skepticism due to a lack of clear evidence on their effectiveness. More data and successful case studies, like those from Peru, are needed to demonstrate their value. 📊🌳 Institutional changes are also necessary. Legal frameworks must evolve to allow water sector actors to incorporate NBS. Cultural shifts are equally important, encouraging openness to innovative solutions. 🌐👥 The forum underscored the importance of inclusive governance. As Jackie Colliar of Waikato Tainui explained, effective infrastructure planning involves diverse perspectives, ensuring sustainable and equitable water management. 🏞️🤝 The capacity gap for implementing NBS is another hurdle. Projects like USAID's Natural Infrastructure for Water Security in Peru are building local capabilities, offering a model for other regions. 🌱📚 The forum's discussions reflected a growing consensus: integrating nature into water infrastructure is no longer niche. As climate challenges escalate, the need for resilient solutions becomes ever more critical. 🌡️🌀 Sharing successes and lessons globally, especially from the Global South, is essential. Standardizing best practices and mobilizing investments can help scale these innovative solutions. 🌍💼 The path forward is clear: mainstream and scale NBS to enhance our water infrastructure's resilience. The urgency is real, but so is the potential for impactful solutions. 🌊🚀 #WaterResilience #ClimateAdaptation #NatureBasedSolutions #WorldWaterForum #SustainableInfrastructure #GlobalWaterCrisis #ClimateChange #WaterSecurity #GreenInfrastructure #NatureConservation #ClimateAction #EnvironmentalSustainability #DroughtResistance #FloodManagement #WaterManagement #NaturalResources #SustainableDevelopment #EcosystemRestoration #ResilientCommunities #WaterConservation #EcoFriendly #GreenTechnology #WaterInnovation #CleanWater #CommunityEngagement #GlobalSouth #USAID #CAF #ForestTrends #Aquafed #WaterInfrastructure

The United States has just elected its 47th President - a leader who has pledged to halt renewable energy projects from day one in office. As the nation faces intensifying wildfires, hurricanes, and other natural disasters, the toll of the climate crisis has become increasingly evident this year. Amid corporate inertia and political deadlock, the crisis continues to escalate, impacting communities across the country. Whether the U.S. can effectively confront these challenges remains to be seen. In this thought-provoking opinion piece, author Simmi Sarma analyses America's climate obstacles and the barriers to creating lasting change. Essential reading for anyone concerned about the future of our planet. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/giNTAcs4 #ClimateCrisis #Sustainability #EnvironmentalPolicy #RenewableEnergy #Leadership #USElections2024 #ClimateChange #Governance

Sure, it’s great to live in the moment, but we must also consider and plan for the long term. As a climate resilience engineer, this is what I think about. https://lnkd.in/esu3VB5M

Had a chance to share thoughts on how water is impacting the built environment today with a forum in Ireland (wish I was there in person!) Key points that I shared: - Water & sanitation are human rights. Globally, we have huge issues with meeting these rights. As of 2022, 2.2 billion lack safely managed drinking water; 3.5 billion people lack sanitation. The disparities hit women, girls, and the poor more. We're not moving fast enough to address these concerns. - As a newly released book succinctly states, "water always wins." We ignore water at our peril-- partly because we are utterly dependent on it. A recent article notes that "water is the master variable." Without water, life on earth doesn't exist. Climate change is water change: more flood, more drought. Each 1 C increase in temperature = 7% more atmospheric moisture. Changes to the Earth's circulatory system = more locked in weather patterns. More flood, more drought. While surface water might be our day to day paycheck, we are also spending down our bank account of groundwater at a rate faster than it is replenished. Groundwater depletions worldwide are scary. - Development and increased impervious surfaces = less recharge, more runoff, more drought and more flood. We are seeing mega cities run out of water. Cape Town, South Africa in 2018. Mexico City in 2024? - Extreme conditions = economically costly (not to mention other impacts not measured in dollars). The US had 28 disasters that cost $1 billion or more in 2023 (up from ~3.3/year in the 1980s). - Even with all of this, there is great and creative work underway to address these challenges. - Federal, state, and local laws have been and are further incorporating water resource management in important ways. - The Dutch are focused on "room for the river"-- living with water rather than fighting it. Floating homes, more room for water to move. - The Chinese "sponge" cities are pro-actively seeking to store and manage water onsite, providing both recharge and flood management. - Even Los Angeles has long been thinking about creative water management. Storage through recharge basins, efforts to rewild the Los Angeles River. Pro-active thought about topography, climate, the built environment and resilience has results... Florida's Babcock Ranch development was built with this in mind and withstood Hurriane Ian in 2023. The opportunity for training in more integrated water resource management is key. We've learned to manage water in silos- we need to be training in integration. Drinking water, waste water, stormwater, flood management. Engineering, economics, law, and more. We can do this. There are many, many more examples of great work happening. While the news is often (always?) doom and gloom, you can find solutions & success happening all around-- you just have to look for it! The Solutions Journalism Network is a good example. Always happy to talk water & solutions.