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Development of the Metropolitan Water Availability Index (MWAI) and Short-term Assessment with Multi-scale Remote Sensing Technologies
Citation:
Chang, N., Y. J. YANG, J. A. GOODRICH, AND A. Daranpob. Development of the Metropolitan Water Availability Index (MWAI) and Short-term Assessment with Multi-scale Remote Sensing Technologies. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 91(6):1397-1413, (2010).
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Description:
Global climate change will change environmental conditions including temperature, precipitation, surface radiation, humidity, soil moisture, and sea level, and impact significantly the regional-scale hydrologic processes such as evapotranspiration (ET), runoff, groundwater levels, and snowmelt. The quantity and quality of water available for drinking and other domestic usage would likely be affected by changes in these processes, as would water demand. Recent drought events in the United States and elsewhere in the world have threatened drinking water supplies for communities. Consequently, it is necessary to assess the challenges ahead of water infrastructure as our economy and population grow continuously. Those drought indices previously developed might not have sufficient for the purpose of such an assessment. This paper thus aims to develop theoretical framework of a “Water Availability Index (WAI)” in a holistic approach so as to assess the status of both the quantity and quality of available potable water in major metropolitan regions. However, variables such as precipitation, river discharge, etc. were normally measured at specific locations as “point” measurements in the past. Remote sensing methods can provide information on both spatial and temporal distribution of key variables. They can be ground-based (e.g., radar estimates of rainfall), or based on aircraft or satellites. After a thorough literature review, this study also recognizes that in concert with the development of a WAI, the success of its implementation rests upon the proper use of remote sensing and sensor network technologies. Such development may lead to: 1) reflect the dynamics in sustainable development and its regional relevance of water infrastructure, 2) explore how to inaugurate or expand an operational practice of water resources management under the impact of climate change, and 3) gain insights into the tension between sustainability and growth, and the interplay between water infrastructure system and community/region emergency response.
