Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
may 2016
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water
New World Bank report outlines how water scarcity could impact us in the future
May 4, 2016
A new World Bank report titled “High and Dry: Climate Change, Water, and the Economy” highlights the importance of water for food, energy, and urban and environmental systems. The report projects that water scarcity will increase globally and impact economies, migratory patterns of populations, and create geopolitical conflict.
A key figure in the report estimates that by 2050 at a “business as usual” pace, water scarcity will result in a loss of 6 percent gross domestic product (GDP) in large number of sub-Saharan and northern African, Middle-Eastern, and Asian countries. Compared to a global scenario of efficient water policies put in place by 2050, northern Africa and the Middle East would still see a 6 percent loss.
The World Bank report recommends that nations adopt three general water policy priorities in order to combat the imminent effects of water scarcity. The first is to optimize water use through planning and incentives. This would require better allocation of scarce water resources across sectors, as well as an increase in water efficiency within sectors. Second, water supply and availability must be expanded by investing in storage infrastructure and water recycling and reuse. And third, resilience must be addressed in order to reduce the impact of extremes, variability, and uncertainty of water resources. This would require better urban planning, risk management, and public engagement efforts.
Sources: The World Bank, E&E News
Five Senate bills focus on western water
May 18, 2016
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power held a hearing this May to discuss a suite of water bills aimed at addressing the drought across the West.
Among the bills were S. 2533, introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and S. 2902, introduced by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ). S. 2533 would provide emergency drought relief to California by funding water supply projects, creating short-term changes to operations at existing water projects, and increasing water allocations to agriculture and cities in southern California. S. 2902 would update the Army Corps of Engineers’ forecasting methods for better water supply management during droughts.
The Committee also considered bills introduced by Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Harry Reid (D-NV). Sen. Gardner’s bills would address revenues required to pay for the construction of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project to provide water to rural Colorado communities, and resolve a water rights issue within a wilderness area in Colorado. Sen. Reid’s bill would authorize funding for Colorado River projects to increase the water supply of Lake Mead.
All 5 bills still need to be passed out of committee before they have the chance of reaching the Senate floor.
Sources: Congress.gov, E&E News
Briefing highlights need for investment in water infrastructure
May 19, 2016
The National League of Cities (NLC) and Value of Water Coalition (VWC) held a briefing on water infrastructure and security across the United States on May 19, 2016, with examples of solutions from multiple cities. The briefing began with introductory remarks from NLC Director and CEO Clarence E. Anthony, U.S. Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY), and the EPA’s Acting Deputy Administrator A. Stanley Meiburg. A panel discussion moderated by Radhika Fox (CEO US Water Alliance) followed, with remarks from Ron Nirenberg (San Antonio, TX City Council); Matt Zone (Cleveland, OH City Council); Tyrone Jue (Senior Advisor on Environment to Mayor Ed Lee, San Francisco, CA); Heather Repenning (Commissioner and President Pro Tempore, Los Angeles, CA Board of Public Works); John LaMacchia II (Assistant Director of State Affairs, Michigan Municipal League); and Jonathan Trutt (Executive Director, West Coast Infrastructure Exchange).
Introductory remarks focused on the importance of clean water and reliable water delivery to communities and the need for additional funding to improve the nation’s aging water infrastructure. Water and water infrastructure was recognized as a national issue, but one with mostly local solutions and impacts. All speakers argued for increased funding at all government levels to improve and replace aging water infrastructure across the country, and emphasized the need to maintain funding over time.
Speakers talked about ongoing projects that their cities have undertaken to address adequate water supplies, infrastructure funding and maintenance, and related water issues. Nirenburg talked about local efforts to diversify water supplies in San Antonio, including the ongoing construction of the biggest inland desalination plant in the country. Zone described a recent ordinance in Cleveland that sought to reduce impervious surfaces in the city to reduce stormwater runoff and non-point source pollution. Jue talked about San Francisco’s efforts to involve local communities in water infrastructure improvements, including requiring contractors to provide apprenticeship opportunities to local community members in areas undergoing infrastructure upgrades. Repenning described Los Angeles’s water cabinet, a group that brings local agencies together to coordinate on water issues; efforts to reduce reliance on imported water; and plans to un-pave the Los Angeles River (which currently flows through a paved channel) to decrease stormwater runoff and revitalize local water supplies. LaMacchia described how water infrastructure has expanded in Michigan over the last 30 years while state investment has remained static, leading to a critical infrastructure funding gap. Trutt described the West Coast Infrastructure Exchange and various projects it has advised in CA, OR, and WA.
May 25, 2016
The National Academies’ Unconventional Hydrocarbon Roundtable held a two-day workshop on “Use of Flowback and Produced Waters: Opportunities and Challenges for Innovation” on May 25-26, 2016. The workshop featured panelists and attendees from the oil and gas industry, federal and state agencies, federal and academic research laboratories, environmental organizations, scientific organizations, and a range of other interested parties.
By bringing together experts on different aspects of the issue to share solutions and ideas, the workshop aimed to answer three major questions: (1) What do we know with confidence regarding technologies and chemical characterization of flowback and produced waters for beneficial uses? (2) What do we need to know? (3) How might we fill those gaps?
Common themes throughout the workshop included the technological developments and challenges in water treatment; infrastructural and economic constraints on the use of produced and flowback waters; existing uses in the oil and gas industry; emerging uses and the need for detailed field studies; the need for locally or regionally specific approaches; environmental and regulatory issues; and desires for public engagement, transparency, and data sharing.
A report on the outcomes of the workshop and video recordings of all of the sessions will be made available on the Unconventional Hydrocarbon Roundtable’s website.
Source: The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine