A green-gray path to global water security and sustainable infrastructure

Vörösmarty, Charles J; Stewart‐Koster, Ben; Green, Pamela A.; Boone, Edward L.; Flörke, Martina; Fischer, G.; Wiberg, D.; Bunn, Stuart; Bhaduri, Anik; McIntyre, Peter B.; Sadoff, Claudia; Liu, Hongxing; Stifel, David

doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2021.102344

Cited by 43 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…The analysis concludes that restoring more forests in the Guandu river basin could save up to USD 79 million in water treatment costs. Preserving natural capital for threat suppression represents a potential cost avoided in traditional grey infrastructure [15]. The objective of this article is to analyse the change in the water security for different periods (1988 and 2019) in São Francisco basin and its relations with the changes in physical and natural asset conditions.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Operationalizing Water Security Concept in Water Investment Planning: Case Study of São Francisco River Basin

Teixeira

Bhaduri

Bunn

et al. 2021

Water

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Despite advances in water resources management and planning, the São Francisco River Basin in Brazil has suffered from systematic drought problems in recent years, leading to severe human and environmental water security threats. This paper aims to track the water security for different periods and its relations with the changes in physical and natural asset conditions. The paper explores how investment planning to mitigate the water security threats and explore opportunities to increase the value of investments. The paper finds that grey infrastructure has regulated threats from increasing in the downstream of the river basin, however, continuous increase in water security threats in the upstream of the basin threatens water security downstream. This is evident from the spatial connectivity and unidirection externalities. As the capacity to further increase in grey investment is reaching its limit in the downstream, the increases in green infrastructure investment upstream, especially in the Grande River basin, could be one the way to reduce the externalities and minimise the water security risks.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Operationalizing Water Security Concept in Water Investment Planning: Case Study of São Francisco River Basin

Teixeira

Bhaduri

Bunn

et al. 2021

Water

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“…Policymakers and planners must strive for broad inclusion, diversity and equity in water system planning and investment decisions. The extensive literature on participatory planning (e.g., (Gilman, 2016[59]) (von Korff et al, 2012 [60])) suggests the following general principles:…”

Section: Ensuring Stakeholder Engagementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strategic Investment Pathways for resilient water systems

2022

OECD Environment Working Papers

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“…With increased variability in precipitation expected and a growing population in developing regions of the world, we need to strive for strategic deployment of traditional infrastructure in conjunction with nature-based solutions (Seddon et al, 2020). Combining existing ecosystem services provided by healthy catchments with investments in water resource infrastructure provides a cost-effective way to achieve water security in the face of climate change while minimising our impact on aquatic ecosystems (Vörösmarty et al, 2021). Deploying such water resource development and catchment management at regional-scales will require the use of decision support tools that accommodate hydrology, biophysical processes and economic constraints (e.g., Payet-Burin et al, 2019).…”

Section: Design and Implement Flexible Adaptive Management Of Water Resources Infrastructurementioning

confidence: 99%

Future of Freshwater Ecosystems in a 1.5°C Warmer World

Capon

Stewart‐Koster

Bunn

2021

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Freshwater ecosystems are highly vulnerable to global warming because 1) their chief drivers, water quality and flow regimes, are highly sensitive to atmospheric warming, and 2) they are already extremely threatened by a wide range of interacting anthropogenic pressures. Even relatively modest global warming of 1.5°C poses a considerable threat to freshwater ecosystems and the many critical services these provide to people. Shifts in the composition and function of freshwater ecosystems are widely anticipated with adverse consequences for ecosystem services, including those underpinning water and food security. While the extent and severity of effects is likely to be significantly reduced if global warming is limited to 1.5°C, concerted efforts to implement widely recognised priorities for policy and management are required to mitigate unavoidable impacts and reduce the likelihood of perverse outcomes of climate mitigation and adaptation efforts in other sectors—all of which rely on fresh water supply. Freshwater ecosystems and their services, including provision of fresh water, must therefore be considered first and foremost when developing and implementing any climate action.

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A green-gray path to global water security and sustainable infrastructure

Cited by 43 publications

References 35 publications

Operationalizing Water Security Concept in Water Investment Planning: Case Study of São Francisco River Basin

Operationalizing Water Security Concept in Water Investment Planning: Case Study of São Francisco River Basin

Strategic Investment Pathways for resilient water systems

Future of Freshwater Ecosystems in a 1.5°C Warmer World

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