Resilient Design Resource Kits

Rethinking Drought

NEEDS STATEMENT:
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM AND WHY DO WE CARE?

Water is a critical resource. The need to implement sustainable approaches to water management, in which scarce water resources are carefully managed, preserved, and stored, so future generations and non-human species can also access water, is increasing. Drought is fueled by global temperature rises, volatility in precipitation levels, direct and indirect consequences of climate change, and poor water management systems, among other factors. Drought impacts food and water security, recreational economies, and human security on multiple scales (entire countries, regions or communities). The economic impact of prolonged drought can be massive: The impact of California’s ongoing mega-drought, to agriculture alone, was $2.7 billion in losses, and costs are still rising. This does not take into account the impact on livelihoods, or the cumulative environmental and human trauma that is catalyzed as a result of drought.

TAKING A SYSTEMS-BASED APPROACH TO BUILDING INTEGRATED KNOWLEDGE

Resilience plays many roles in reducing the impact of drought. Working with planners, scientists, technologists and engineers, they can devise regional, urban, and local water management plans and systems that help communities monitor, conserve, and reuse water. Project by project, multi-disciplinary teams can offer novel solutions for improving watershed restoration and protections, work to change people’s perceptions of the value of water, or assist utility companies to create data visualizations that help consumers understand the cost of household water usage and where they might make savings.

In the southwestern U.S., where water is scarce, local communities have used acequias for thousands of years. These earthen canals, and other water diversion channels, may benefit from integration with renewable energyscapes by covering sections with solar panels to reduce evaporation. This kind of multi-generational approach to water resource planning, together with technological adaptation, is an example of contemporary systems approach to green infrastructure that can be applied across scales. The approach also demonstrates how creating drought-resilient and water-saving and re-use approaches at a domestic or micro-level can benefit communities moving forward.

Wright-Ingraham Institute systems research transects the San Juan Watershed, the Colorado River Lower Basin, the Imperial Valley, and the Salton Sea. WII also runs place-based educational initiatives in and around these areas.

POTENTIAL IMPACTS, VALUE, AND OUTCOMES

Resiliency research that focuses on drought might produce outcomes such as:

Boosting water conservation through developing smart monitoring systems.
Creating roadmaps of county regulations on residential water use.
Evaluating water consumption in relation to practices like watering lawns.
Mapping irrigation systems; underground cisterns; native, drought-resistant plants; and natural approaches that boost the retention of water in soils.
Developing new systems for safe reuse of greywater for residential or commercial irrigation to reduce consumer costs and conserve water.
Increase native xeriscaping to reduce dependence on water while providing habitat for needed wildlife, thus better sustaining natural ecosystems.
Planting trees to shade water bodies to reduce evaporation and provide wildlife habitats. These design possibilities can aid other domestic or local-level water conservation efforts to provide a holistic approach to water conservation practices at different scales.