Podcast Summary
Three key lessons for cities and communities facing extreme weather events: Invest in green infrastructure, rethink infrastructure design and location, and prioritize community engagement and preparedness to better withstand extreme weather events in the face of climate change
The destructive impact of extreme weather events, like the recent storms in California, is not solely determined by the weather itself, but also by how and where we choose to build and live. The assumption that our infrastructure and buildings were designed to handle weather based on historical data is no longer valid in the face of climate change. The BBC emphasizes the importance of being informed and inspired by the best stories, which make us think rather than telling us what to think. In the context of the discussion, this means recognizing the need to adapt and innovate in response to the changing climate and its impact on our built environment. California's severe storms have highlighted three key lessons for cities and communities. First, the importance of investing in green infrastructure, such as rain gardens and permeable pavement, to manage heavy rainfall and reduce flooding. Second, the need to rethink the design and location of critical infrastructure, like levees and storm drains, to better withstand extreme weather events. Lastly, the value of community engagement and preparedness, including evacuation plans and public education about climate risks and mitigation strategies. By recognizing that the future will not be like the past and that we need to rethink our assumptions about how to build and live in the face of climate change, we can be better prepared for the next disaster.
California's water management rules make it hard to save floodwater for dry seasons: California's water management rules prevent reservoirs from being full during winter, making it difficult to save excess water for dry seasons, highlighting the need for innovative solutions to mitigate drought impacts
Even in states with abundant rainfall and water, historic droughts can still persist due to complex water management systems. For instance, in California, reservoirs are not allowed to be full during the winter months to prevent flooding, which means they can't store excess water for the dry season. This rule, while necessary to prevent flooding, makes it challenging for the state to save and utilize floodwater effectively. Innovative solutions, such as finding ways to store excess winter water, are essential to help mitigate the impact of droughts and ensure water security for the future.
California's Water Management: Dynamic Reservoir Control Based on Weather Forecasts: California is adapting to climate change by managing reservoirs dynamically based on weather forecasts, using improved forecasts from teams like Periscat to predict atmospheric rivers and optimize water storage.
California is exploring new ways to manage its water resources by dynamically controlling reservoirs based on weather forecasts. For instance, Folsom Reservoir in Sacramento used to follow strict rules about water levels, but now it only empties out if a big storm is imminent. This approach relies on accurate forecasts, and teams like Periscat, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, are working on improving them. They study atmospheric rivers, long storms that bring vast amounts of moisture, by releasing instruments called dropsondes from high altitudes. This data helps forecasters predict the behavior of these storms, which in turn aids reservoir management. With potentially longer and deeper droughts and bigger storms in California's future due to climate change, these methods could be crucial for climate adaptation. Two reservoirs are currently using this approach, and others are considering it as well.
Innovations in Water Management: Retrofitting Reservoirs and Updating Stormwater Infrastructure: Retrofitting reservoirs with current weather forecasts and updating stormwater infrastructure based on more accurate climate change data are crucial for effective water management and preventing flooding.
Water management and infrastructure are facing significant challenges due to changing weather patterns and the effects of climate change. The first innovation in this area is the retrofitting of reservoir use based on current weather forecasts. The second issue is the inadequacy of stormwater infrastructure, which is often based on outdated rainfall records. As storms become more intense, utilities are struggling to keep up, and investing in updates to these systems, many of which are over a century old, is becoming increasingly important. The federal government is taking steps to address this issue by requiring the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to update rainfall records and include climate change forecasts in their data. This will provide utilities with more accurate information to design and maintain their infrastructure, ultimately helping to prevent flooding and other water-related issues. The Biden administration is also focusing on infrastructure, making this an opportune time for investments in upgrades.
NOAA's delayed climate data hinders infrastructure planning: Officials urge cities and states to build in a safety margin for climate change in infrastructure projects due to NOAA's delayed climate data, emphasizing the importance of proactive climate change planning.
Cities and states planning infrastructure projects to mitigate climate change are facing a challenge due to the lack of updated climate data from NOAA. This data, which includes new rainfall information, is not expected to be available until 2026, but a significant portion of infrastructure funding has already been distributed and will be used by then. Officials from NOAA explain that analyzing the data for the entire country is a complex process. In the meantime, cities and states need to build in a margin of safety for climate change in their infrastructure projects, as what is built today will last for decades. Rachel Kletis, who works on extreme weather policy with the Union of Concerned Scientists, emphasizes the importance of mainstreaming climate change considerations into all infrastructure decisions moving forward. Additionally, innovation number 3 involves looking to the past for solutions, as shown by John Carlin's work with River Partners in California, where they restore rivers to help mitigate flood damage. Overall, the past may not be a reliable guide to the future, and a shift in philosophy towards proactive climate change planning is necessary to avoid wasting resources on infrastructure that may not be sufficient in the face of future climate challenges.
Adapting to Flooding: Giving Rivers Room to Expand: Understanding rivers' natural expansion and shrinkage, creating flood plains, and investing in adaptive measures can minimize flood damage and ensure community safety and infrastructure sustainability.
Managing and adapting to the effects of flooding requires a proactive approach. Instead of building structures right up to the edge of rivers and trying to prevent flooding at all costs, it's important to understand that rivers are meant to expand and shrink with the seasons. By creating flood plains and giving rivers room to spread out during high water levels, the damage caused by flooding can be minimized. However, implementing such changes can be challenging and expensive, particularly for those living in areas that need to be bought out and relocated. Despite these challenges, the long-term cost of not adapting to the changing climate and increased flooding can be much greater. As seen in the examples discussed, from reservoirs to using weather data, people are finding ways to adapt to the future and rethink their relationship with rivers. It will take time and investment, but it's necessary to ensure the safety and sustainability of communities and infrastructure in the face of unpredictable weather patterns.
The Importance of Fact-Checking in Science Reporting: Fact-checking is crucial in science reporting to maintain audience trust and uphold journalistic integrity. It's a team effort involving producers, supervising producers, fact checkers, podcast coordinators, senior directors, and vice presidents.
Learning from this episode of Shortwave is the importance of fact-checking and the role it plays in producing accurate and reliable science reporting. Lauren Summer shared her perspective on the significance of fact-checking in journalism, emphasizing its importance in maintaining trust with the audience and upholding journalistic integrity. This episode was a reminder of the team effort involved in creating a daily science podcast, with contributions from Burley McCoy (producer), Rebecca Ramirez (supervising producer), Anil Oza (fact checker), Brendan Crump (podcast coordinator), Beth Donovan (senior director of programming), and Anya Grundmann (senior vice president of programming). Support for this podcast comes from Easycater and Capella University. Easycater provides solutions for companies' food needs, while Capella University offers flexible online degree programs.
