EPA Report Looks at Managing Water Supplies in a Warming World

Image courtesy of Wolfgang Staudt via flickr

Though the EPA has come in for a fair amount of criticism on this site - largely due to its political leanings of late - it goes without saying that its work is tremendously important and that its regular reports, on topics ranging from waste management to air pollution, are well worth the reading. ES&T;'s Naomi Lubick brings us word of a new draft report on the effects of climate change on water management, called "National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change," which provides a valuable insight on its challenges and the potential mitigation strategies we should be considering. The report features a long list of challenges managers will be faced with, including ocean acidification, groundwater variability, unusual precipitation patterns and extreme weather patterns. The 5-year strategy it maps out would place a particular emphasis on more efficient hydroelectric power management and better research and analytical tools to promote a holistic, watershed approach to resource management.

The 5 core goals it wants local and federal managers to focus on are:

1. Water Program Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases: Use core water programsto contribute to greenhouse gas mitigation

2. Water Program Adaptation to Climate Change: Adapt implementation ofcore water programs to maintain and improve program effectiveness in the context of achanging climate and assist States and communities in this effort.

3. Climate Change Research Related to Water: Strengthen the link betweenEPA water programs and climate change research.

4. Water Program Education on Climate Change: Educate water programprofessionals and stakeholders on climate change impacts on water resources andwater programs.

5. Water Program Management of Climate Change: Establish themanagement capability within the National Water Program to engage climate changechallenges on a sustained basis.

While most of these goals probably seem fairly common-sensical (as they are), each is intended to serve as more of an overarching objective - and is fully fleshed out in the report's later sections. Besides, when reading these reports, it's important to remember that they are primarily targeted to an audience of legislators - many of which (evidently) lack the proper background to fully grasp the more complex issues at hand.

Via ::ES&T;: Preparing water supplies for climate change (news website)

See also: ::A New Era Of Water Conservation, ::Don't You Dare Touch Our Water