CSU/Riverside Global Water & Climate Initiative

What is the problem and why is it important? Pressure on global water resources from population and climate change Needs: Thoughtful solutions Agendas for action in policy, implementation, funding and education Defined roles and responsibilities

Why it is a complex systems issue* Drivers = Population, Development, Climatic Shifts Pressures = Scarcity, Deprivation, Stress States = Drought, Drained Aquifers, Poor Infrastructure Impacts = Economic, Social, Environmental Decline, Conflicts Responses = ??? What to do? How to do it? Who has responsibility? *DPSIR is a systems concept to link problems and action

Multiple roles Governance authorities Mission agencies Universities Ministries Donors Multilateral institutions CSU Utilities Development banks Private sector Regulators

Purposes of the workshop Explain critical challenges Identify thoughtful solution strategies Create action agendas in research, education, data and decision support Define roles and responsibilities Craft messages and identify audiences Outline strategies for Colorado State U

Expected follow-through Messages to international organizations Messages to U.S. policymakers Messages to donors Thought leadership through media CSU strategic planning Need: identify channels for follow-through

Critical challenges in three arenas (with examples of issues) Hydrologic uncertainty and extreme events Climatic shifts threaten people and places and cause hardship and migration Capacity to assess and adapt to climatic shifts is insufficient Politics, people and governance Water governance is in a state of confusion in many places (UN statement) Institutional arrangements to foster integration are inadequate Water management and planning Water managers lack expertise to create integrated solutions to complex problems Water infrastructure is static and not adaptable to climatic shifts Funding for water management solutions is inadequate

Example of an issue (With key questions for workshop outcomes) Water Security in an Uncertain Climate   Key Issues Research Needs Education Other Who should Lead? Who are the Partners? Potential Funding Sources Workforce Gaps Need for new Degree or educational programs How better position CSU/Partners to lead Issue 1: Non-stationary rainfall distributions Need better representation of local phenomena in global models Need hydrology students to better understand climate models Need appropriate output from climate models to serve hydrology community Atmos/Civil NSF, NASA, NOAA Few people trained in both Joint degree in Hydrology/ Atmos. Sci? Adapt iWater to a joint degree program?

Another example   Research Education Other Lead, partners Funding Workforce Degrees How Infrastructure in tandem with governance* Institutional research is needed to determine gaps in integration among technology and governance Engineers must understand governance; managers should understand technology better Needed: better role definition of authorities for infrastructure and governance initiatives Lead: Policy schools, training programs, governance authorities, donors Funding for training along with project funds and development bank contributions Gaps are evident because engineers focus on technical subjects; managers may not be aware of integrated solutions Advanced degrees for water managers might be the best option CSU and partners can seek funding for trial programs, for example, in a region such as Latin America or the Middle East. * Full issue statement: Infrastructure must be complemented by demand management, stakeholder engagement, and governance that work under uncertainty, where prevention and precaution are more important than false exactness and an illusion of rigor.

Issues have many levels We seek high level issues that are clearly-defined Issue: Infrastructure must be complemented by demand management, stakeholder engagement, and governance that work under uncertainty, where prevention and precaution are more important than false exactness and an illusion of rigor. Issue: Identify uncertainties and level of rigor/detail needed in analyses Issue: Identify appropriate management measures to complement infrastructure Issue: Select appropriate infrastructure. Issue: Identify barriers to decisions that consider infrastructure and management measures on integrated basis. Issue: Identify decision support tools to blend measures and display critical decision variables Issue: Determine governance strategies to use decision tools and address barriers to integration in decisions Issue: Evaluate incentives for governance authorities to cooperate and advance integration Issue: Address communication strategies to foster acceptance of rational displays of outcomes rather than political choices Issue: Identify funding mechanisms to advance integrated approaches

Critical challenge 1: Threats from climatic shifts Example of problem identification with potential workshop outcomes Critical challenge 1: Threats from climatic shifts Problem: With shifting climate, serious drought is afflicting many areas of the world and causing food shortages, lack of water in cities and hardship among disadvantaged people. Solution: Tap new, unconventional sources and develop the storage and distribution infrastructures needed to increase water security for farms and cities Research needs: To understand climatic shifts and the decision and funding pathways to overcome barriers due to failed governance. Education, training and workforce needs: Leaders and supporters: Local water authorities have the main responsibility, but state and national governments must provide the needed policy and empowerment. International and national agencies must lead in developing the research and capacity-building agendas and providing the resources to develop and disseminate new solution strategies Funding sources: CSU and partner roles:

Critical challenge 2: Impacts of climatic shifts cause turmoil We envision three critical challenges in each of three categories This is a proposed outline of the workshop report Critical challenge 2: Impacts of climatic shifts cause turmoil Problem: Solution: Research needs: Education, training and workforce needs: Leaders and supporters: Funding sources: CSU and partner roles:

Other Implementation Needs? Roles? Leadership, partnering? Key questions for implementation agencies, governance authorities, funding organizations, and universities Research Needs? Education Needs? Other Implementation Needs? Roles? Leadership, partnering? Potential Funding Sources? Workforce Gaps? New Degree or educational programs? How better position CSU/Partners to lead?

Recommendations 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Roles and Actions Implementation agencies Governance authorities Funding organizations Universities

“Big Ideas” to achieve the needed Solutions Water Security in an Uncertain Climate   Key Challenges “Big Ideas” to achieve the needed Solutions 1. 2. 3.