November 2024 | Rob Sowby, Grant George (BYU), and Dan Jones
Urban water systems are increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Traditional planning, often based on past conditions, fails to address these new challenges. We suggest policy options for integrating climate scenarios into urban water planning which will enhance the resilience of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems: (1) requiring climate scenario analysis in planning processes, (2) developing climate-resilient infrastructure standards, (3) promoting low-impact development and nature-based solutions, (4) creating regional planning bodies, (5) educating professionals for climate-responsive planning, and (6) securing funding for climate adaptation.
Earth