Citation:

YANG, Y. J. Quantifying Multi-variables in Urban Watershed Adaptation: Challenges and Opportunities. Presented at University of Cincinnati, GIESN Center Seminar Series, Cincinnati, OH, February 18, 2011.

Impact/Purpose:

To inform the public.

Description:

Climate change and rapid socioeconomic developments are considered to be the principle variables affecting evolution of an urban watershed, the forms and sustainability of its built environment. In the traditional approach, we are accustomed to the assumption of a stationary climate in urban planning and watershed characterization. Now extensive research and publications have led to abolishing the long-held stationarity assumption. Under this new premise, it is critical now to quantifying the climate change effect, its interactions with other primary watershed variables. The outcome is often the basis for climate change adaptation planning for desired sustainability of urban development, mostly in watershed scales. This seminar is structured to provide an overview of climate change and other variables in an urban watershed, and then highlight their differences and commonalities in the rate of change, spatiotemporal extents, uncertainties and difficulties in quantification of these physical attributes. I will further discuss several approaches in the EPA’s Water Resources Adaptation Program (WRAP) to quantify effects of the multi-variables with a focus on urban water infrastructure and holistic water resource management in urban watershed scales. Study examples and methods that appear to be promising for spatiotemporal characterization and urban planning adaptation will be presented for illustration.

Record Details: