Water Online

JAN 2016

Water Innovations gives Water and Wastewater Engineers and end-users a venue to find project solutions and source valuable product information. We aim to educate the engineering and operations community on important issues and trends.

Issue link: http://wateronline.epubxp.com/i/628452

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 10 of 42

By John Batten A s floods, drought, and other natural disasters unfold globally, resilience continues to top the world's headlines. The major change coming in 2016 will be the concept that resilience should shape public attitudes, policy, investment priorities, projects, and the status of water utilities as drivers for change. The year 2016 will be about how well cities and water utilities can become more resilient to disruptive events, from intense storms and drought to funding shortfalls and service demands. A Climate Of Change Trends in resilience continue to emerge in cities across the U.S., so it's there that you find trends in action. Cities large and small seek to create an environment where people and businesses can thrive, yet they are also vulnerable to budget pressures, resource constraints, and natural disasters. Against these headwinds, the task of delivering safe and reliable water while protecting citizens from pollutants, disease, and flooding takes both strength of will and flexibility to adapt. Fortunately, resilience solutions are trending along with these challenges and reflect new and exciting ideas. A global spirit of collaboration and sharing has produced a rich body of ideas and best practices that cities are making their own. Just as each city is dealt a different set of challenges, local conditions define individual resilience agendas. Still, we can expect to see some core themes dominate in 2016, and many are unfolding now. It's critical for water industry professionals to keep up with these seven trends as they play out in the coming months. Trend #1: Cities Embrace Resilience Just as the natural world has to adapt to survive, so too do our urban centers. Resilience matters in every way — not just for quick disaster recovery, but also for communities to feel confident that come flood, drought, or other water-related stresses, their city's future holds promise. For these reasons, mayors, councils, utilities, and businesses are making resilience a top priority. The near-universality of urban resilience needs has led to a new global network pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation called 100 Resilient Cities (100RC). The foundation provides resources to help cities hire chief resilience officers (CROs) and develop resilience strategies. Resilience leaders have also broadened the definition of resilience to include the capacity of individuals, communities, institutions, businesses, and systems within a city to survive, adapt, and grow no matter what acute shocks and chronic stresses they experience. Seeing the city as a whole expands the scope of resilience to include social and economic factors as well as the physical. Perhaps the most important result of this trend is the recognition that a resilient city is a competitive city. Today, investors and businesses seek certainty that infrastructure will support their future growth and business interests. Water and wastewater system integrity as well as quick recovery from floods are no longer "nice to haves." Resilience is the core goal that connects economic and social priorities. Trend #2: Climate Redefines Risk Increasingly, the world is recognizing that climate change is causing sea-level rise and more frequent and intense storms or drought. This one-two punch from climate change isn't restricted to emerging economies. Water and wastewater utilities from Florida to California are facing the need to make their systems resilient to too much or too little water and to saltwater intrusion from rising tides and sea levels. In the U.S., flood threats create challenges across multiple fronts. In fact, according to a report from the International Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's "Studies on Water," by 2050 nearly 20 percent of the world's population will live at risk from floods. Until we adapt to climate change, we'll need to build systems to accommodate and hold back water. Elsewhere, climate change has produced greater risk of water scarcity, as many communities in the Western U.S. know all too well. As if that weren't enough, a recent report from the World Economic Forum shows that water crises top the list of disasters in terms of impact. 8 wateronline.com n Water Innovations The Resilient Year: 7 Trends To Watch In 2016 Given the condition of our environment this year and beyond, it's possible that no other issue will be as critical in 2016 as planning for and protecting against catastrophic events. These seven emerging trends forecast how the water industry will cope.

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Water Online - JAN 2016