Developing Climate Risk Management Strategies for Water Utilities

Climate change adds a layer of complexity to the already substantial challenges facing water utility managers. As future conditions become increasingly uncertain, decision processes responding to these changes are necessarily evolving away from a deterministic prediction-based paradigm to one based on vulnerability identification and adaptation planning.

SEI is developing a risk assessment and management framework for water utilities to help them learn about potential climate impacts and how these affect decision-making and planning. The framework will be piloted for the New York City water supply system and with the Colorado Springs Utilities in 2011.