Featured Report: Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for Water Supply & Water Systems

vulnerability assessment approach

REPORT TITLE:

Impacts of Climate Change on Honolulu Water Supplies & Planning Strategies for Mitigation (2019)

ABSTRACT:

The Honolulu Board of Water Supply and the Water Research Foundation co-funded a vulnerability assessment to identify and adapt to climate change risks to: (1) fresh water supply from forecasted temperature increases and reduction in precipitation, (2) groundwater quality from salt water intrusion, and (3) coastal water system infrastructure from projected sea level rise.  The project evaluated potential climate change impacts for a 2100 timescale, on estimates of a range of groundwater sustainable yields utilizing the University of Hawaii’s statistical and dynamical downscaled climate models of rainfall; and coastal pipeline infrastructure assets for 3.2 feet of sea level rise utilizing UH’s sea level rise models for marine and groundwater inundation; and then identified a suite of adaptive strategies to address the range of anticipated changes.

This project’s approach for the development of adaptive management strategies in a vulnerability assessment can be used as a guide for other utilities in evaluating and planning for the impact of climate change on water resources and coastal infrastructure subject to drought, sea level rise and coastal erosion.

climate change impacts on honolulu water supplies

Reports, Studies & Online Tools

  • Department of Land & Natural Resources
    Department of Land & Natural Resources

    Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report, December 2017 (LEARN MORE)

  • Sea Grant, University of Hawaii
    Sea Grant, University of Hawaii

    Sea Level Rise & Climate Change White Paper, December 2018 (LEARN MORE)

  • Water Research Foundation
    Water Research Foundation

    Impacts of Climate Change on Honolulu Water Supplies and Planning Strategies for Mitigation, December 2019 (LEARN MORE)

  • UH School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
    UH School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology

    Hawaii Sea Level Rise Viewer - Interactive Map (LEARN MORE)

Featured Video: BWS Stakeholder Advisory Group

APRIL 25, 2019 – Members of the Board of Water Supply Stakeholder Advisory Group had the opportunity to learn about the impact of climate change on Hawaii. The panel of speakers included Dr. Chip Fletcher III (Chip) and Dr. Thomas Giambelluca from the University of Hawaii, Joshua Stanbro from the City and County of Honolulu's Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency, and Barry Usagawa of the Water Resources Division of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply.


VIDEO QUICK LINKS (VIMEO):


PRESENTATION SLIDES (PDF):

PRESENTATION HANDOUTS (PDF):

Recent Videos


PACIFIC WATER CONFERENCE
Impacts of Climate Change on Honolulu Water Supplies and Planning Strategies for Mitigation, Honolulu, HI, February 20, 2019
Presented by Robert C. Renner, P.E. of the Water Research Foundation, and Barry Usagawa, P.E. of the Board of Water Supply

Related Resources

 

Updated: 01/21/20