GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

Green Infrastructure

Green Infrastructure

Climate change and variability portend significant consequences for water utilities, especially in the western United States, in terms of the quantity, quality, and flow regimes of their source waters. Water infrastructure can be severely damaged, even destroyed, by climate related phenomena such as floods, rising sea levels, and hurricanes. Scientists generally agree on the broad features of likely hydrological changes, such as increases in global average precipitation and evaporation due to warmer temperatures. But significant uncertainty remains about the amount of precipitation and runoff at the regional or watershed levels. This situation makes reliable predictions impossible. That said, current science suggests that the global climate cycle will become more intense, resulting in heavier but less frequent periods of precipitation. In other words, the science points to the possibility of longer periods of drought alternating with spells of heavy rainfall and runoff(Pincetl 2007 pp.87-92). Climate change increases land and sea temperatures and alters precipitation quantity and patterns, resulting in the increase of global average sea level, risks of coastal erosion and an expected increase in the severity of weather-related natural disasters( Walmsley 2005 pp.252-290). Changing water levels, temperatures and flow will in turn affect food supply, health, industry, and transport and ecosystem integrity. Climate change will lead to significant economic and social impacts with some regions and sectors likely to bear greater adverse affects. Certain sections of society (the elderly, disabled, low-income households) are also expected to suffer more. Addressing climate change requires two types of response. Firstly, and importantly, we must reduce our greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) (i.e. take mitigation action) and secondly we must take adaptation action to deal with the unavoidable impacts(Ward-Thompsom 2002 pp.59-72 ). The EU's recently agreed climate change legislation puts in place the concrete measures to reach the EU's commitment to reduce emissions to 20% below 1990 levels by 2020 and is capable of being amended to deliver a 30% reduction if agreed as part of an international agreement in which other developed countries agree to comparable reductions and appropriate contributions by economically more advanced developing countries based on their responsibilities and capabilities. However, even if the world succeeds in limiting and then reducing GHG emissions, our planet will take time to recover from the greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere. Thus we will be faced with the impact of climate change for at least the next 50 years. We need therefore to take measures to adapt. Adaptation is already taking place but in a piecemeal manner. A more strategic approach is needed to ensure that timely and effective adaptation measures are taken, ensuring coherency across different sectors and levels of governance(Novick 2009). This White Paper sets out a framework to reduce the EU's vulnerability to the impact of climate change. It builds on the wide-ranging consultation launched in 2007 by the Green Paper on Adapting to Climate Change in Europe1 and further research efforts that identified action to be taken in the short-term. The framework is designed to evolve as further evidence becomes available. It will complement action by Member States and support wider international efforts to adapt to climate change, particularly in developing countries. The EU is working with other partner countries in the UNFCCC2 towards a post-2012 climate agreement which will ...