A review of climate change effects on practices for mitigating water quality impacts

Abstract

Water quality practices are commonly implemented to reduce human impacts on land and water resources. In series or parallel in a landscape, systems of practices can reduce local and downstream pollution delivery. Many practices function via physical, chemical, and biological processes that are dependent on weather and climate. Climate change will alter the function of many such systems, though effects will vary in different hydroclimatic and watershed settings. Reducing the risk of impacts will require risk-based, adaptive planning. Here, we review the literature addressing climate change effects on practices commonly used to mitigate the water quality impacts of urban stormwater, agriculture, and forestry. Information from the general literature review is used to make qualitative inferences about the resilience of different types of practices. We discuss resilience in the context of two factors: the sensitivity of practice function to changes in climatic drivers, and the adaptability, or relative ease with which a practice can be modified as change occurs. While only a first step in addressing a complex topic, our aim is to help communities incorporate consideration of resilience to climate change as an additional factor in decisions about water quality practices to meet long-term goals.

Spatial analysis of future climate risk to stormwater infrastructure

“…Uncertainty about future extreme storm events poses a challenge for planners and decision-makers who must balance between the level of risk that is acceptable and the cost of potential over-design. Responding to this challenge requires solutions that are, to the extent possible, robust against an uncertain future ( Johnson et al, 2022 ). This may include selecting practices that provide direct benefits (e.g., stormwater control) as well as co-benefits (e.g., reduction in urban heat islands, greenhouse gas emissions) across a range of possible futures, and practices that can more easily be modified or phased in over time as conditions change (e.g., more spatially distributed, green infrastructure).…”

Water Quality Assessment Using the Water Quality Index, and Geographic Information Systems in Nador Canal, Morocco

“…This ongoing evaluation is essential to detect pollution, ensure safe drinking water supplies, and protect the health of aquatic life. In summary, maintaining the purity of surface water is vital to safeguarding public health and the environment, necessitating diligent and continuous quality assessment and management [3,4] . Human activities often lead to the pollution and deterioration of surface water quality, diminishing its suitability for a range of vital purposes, including industry, agriculture, recreation, and more.…”

Modeling the impact of future rainfall changes on the effectiveness of urban stormwater control measures

“…As demonstrated by Wang et al 40 , there are relatively few examples of studies that focus on the climate change implications for the design of SCMs and impacts on stormwater runoff (e.g. 42 – 45 ). Instead, studies have predominantly focused on the problem of downscaling GCM (global climate model) projections for use in urban drainages 46 – 48 and on the effectiveness of conveyance networks to mitigate local flooding under climate change 49 , 50 .…”