Claudia Borchert, City of Santa Fe Claudia Borchert, City of Santa Fe 2012 New Mexico Water Dialogue Thursday, January 12, 2012 Meeting Water Challenges in the Face of Climate Change Meeting Water Challenges in the Face of Climate Change

Physical System Adaptation Mitigation

 changes in greenhouse gases and aerosols in the atmosphere;  observed changes in air, land and ocean temperatures, rainfall, glaciers and ice sheets, oceans and sea level;  historical and paleoclimatic perspective on climate change;  biogeochemistry, carbon cycle, gases and aerosols;  satellite and other data;  climate models;  climate projections, causes and attribution of climate change.  water resources  ecosystems  food & forests  coastal systems  industry  human health  energy  transport  buildings  industry  agriculture  forestry  waste management Source: International Panel on Climate Change physical scientific aspects of the climate system and climate change Physical scientific aspects of the climate system and climate change through limiting or preventing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing activities that remove them from the atmosphere Mitigation Adaptation the vulnerability of socio- economic and natural systems, negative and positive consequences and options for adapting

What should water managers do to adapt to climate change? Adaptation

 “NO REGRET” Actions Santa Fe’s Current Strategies  Conservation  Cost Incentives: Inclined-use Rate Structure  Rainwater Harvesting  Wastewater Reuse (direct?)  Ecosystem Protection- Living Santa Fe River Initiative  Monitoring and Assessment  Regional Perspective  Cooperation  Forest Management  ‘Green’ Energy for Water Production (mitigation)

Santa Fe Basin Climate Change Study  Primary Purpose: to identify how to manage the Santa Fe’s water resources and plan for the future in face of climate change  Interactive workshop to identify impacts and adaptations  Reevaluation of San Juan-Chama Project Water firm yield  Using updated system simulation model: WaterMAPS  Partners: Santa Fe County, Bureau of Reclamation (Abq)  Geographic Extent: the three basins on which Santa Fe relies for water – Santa Fe Basin, Upper Rio Grande and San Juan Basin Current First Step: Translate the range temperature and precipitation projections (112) to a range of stream flows for the three basins

 Manage watersheds  Scenario planning  Build new infrastructures  Change operational rules  Incorporate food production  Integrate water resources  Harvest rainwater/stormwater  New water sources  Institutional changes  Reexamine land use policies  Consider resource limit  Communicate  increase awareness  Make lemonade from opportunities Additional Strategies?  CLIMATE- JUSTIFIED Actions

Possible Discussion Questions What actions might water managers take that are ‘climate-justified’ vs ‘no-regret’? Why is our society having a hard time thinking about and addressing climate change? Are there advantages of looking at resiliency vs adaptation?

Adaptation   Resilience Adaptation: an adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli (variability, extremes, and changes) or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities – International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Resilience : the capacity [ability] of an individual, community, or institution to dynamically and effectively respond to shifting climate impact circumstances while continuing to function and prosper. Simply, it is the ability to survive, recover from, and even thrive in changing climatic conditions. - Asian Cities Climate Change Resiliency Network (ACCCRN)