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- Permanent Link:
- http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dpService/dpPurlService/purl/FI15060311/00001
Notes
- Summary:
- Anthropogenic activity is now widely accepted by the overwhelming majority of the world’s scientists as
the major cause of global climate change (IPCC, 2007); (Karl, etal, USCCSP, & NOAA, 2009);
(International Alliance of Research Universities, 2009). Climate change is driven primarily by the
accumulation in the atmosphere of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation,
land use, and agricultural practices. Climate change has begun to exert significant effects in many
regions of the world and there is already enough energy stored in the oceans, atmosphere, and land for
adverse impacts to continue for centuries. In addition to an aggressive, concerted, global mitigation
program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit the extent of climate change, forwardthinking
local adaptation is needed to cope with the unavoidable, potential, area-specific impacts of
climate change.
Southeast Florida, comprised of Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe Counties with a
combined population of 5.5 million (US Census, 2008), was reported to be one of the ten most
vulnerable coastal metropolitan areas in the world, ranking 4th in terms of exposed population and 1st in
terms of the value of exposed assets by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development
(Nicholls & OECD, 2008). The region is especially susceptible to sea level rise and expected changes in
local weather patterns. Recent reports from the U.S. Global Climate Change Science Program (Karl, etal,
USCCSP, & NOAA, 2009) and the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU, 2009) indicate
that global average sea level may rise by approximately 2 to 4 feet or more by 2100, an amount that will
have significant effects on coastal Southeast Florida.
Southeast Florida’s vulnerability derives from its geographic location, low elevation, porous geology,
unusual ground and surface water hydrology, subtropical weather patterns, and proximity to the
Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Its highly engineered water infrastructure and flood control systems
play an essential role in assuring that region’s habitability. Water managers must balance demand for
potable water and agricultural and landscape irrigation with ground and surface water management,
flood control, and the needs of the natural environment including the Everglades, coastal and
freshwater wetlands, and coastal marine habitat. Because the region’s hydrological system is very
interdependent and interactive, water supply cannot be considered separately from the other elements
of the region’s water resources, such as wastewater management, flood control, and stormwater
management, which are addressed comprehensively in this study.
How and to what extent sea level rise and other climate change impacts are likely to influence Southeast
Florida’s water supply, wastewater reuse alternatives, and ground and surface waters are subjects of
this research. Engineering options and management strategies for enhancing the resilience of the
region’s water systems are described. A Case Study of the City of Pompano Beach Water Utility
exemplifies how these tools can be applied to improve the resilience of a local water utility. An adaptive
planning framework is outlined for management of the region’s water resources as sea level continues
to rise and as drought and more severe storm events worsen with time. Until now, planning has implicitly assumed “stationarity” (Obeysekera, 2009), that environmental
conditions, such as climate patterns and sea level, will remain within historic ranges and that only
changes in human circumstances, such as population, technology, and the economy, need be
considered. This assumption is no longer valid. Unprecedented conditions in the future and uncertain
potential consequences demand that climate change be considered in all future planning and
policymaking concerning water resources, other infrastructure, and land use. Furthermore, current
practices, policies, and regulations should be critically reviewed and revised in consideration of climate
change. New ideas and new approaches that may
possibly conflict with current thinking will be needed if
the forecasted ranges of sea level rise and weather
extremes are realized.
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- Florida International University
- Rights Management:
- Please contact the owning institution for licensing and permissions. It is the user's responsibility to ensure use does not violate any third party rights.
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