Impacts and Opportunities at the Climate–Land Use–Energy–Water Interface: An Urgent Call for Dialogue

Abstract

This commentary calls for dialogue to explore a 'virtuous' intersection of climate-land-energy and water systems to manage risk and build healthy, sustainable, and resilient communities.ABSTRACT: Historically, managers of land, energy, and water systems have not recognized the importance of the collective interconnections of these systems. It is simpler to think about these intersections as two-dimensional rather than multi-dimensional puzzles. However, in the context of climate change, the multiple intersections between systems need to be examined. Failure to consider those connections can result in underappreciated risks, missed opportunities, and costly mistakes. Additionally, issues have different implications over time and spatial scales, and when considered in local contexts, are more nuanced and complex. Recent events also emphasize the critical need to consider social and environmental justice and to engage a range of interests in decisionmaking processes. As policy makers, resource managers, and researchers, we must ask ourselves the tough questions that will lead to innovation and creative solutions. Questions about the potential unintended consequences and the political, social, economic, natural and/or ecological, hydrological, and technical feasibility of actually implementing solutions have largely gone unanswered. We call on our colleagues to work together on these challenges; to develop and use integrated tools like scenario planning and anticipatory decision frameworks; and collaborate on creating a "virtuous intersection." Join us in analyzing and implementing policy at the climate-land-energy-water interface.

Featured Collection Introduction: “Connecting Land and Water for Healthy Communities”

“…(2022) note that stormwater professionals stated that multiple factors were part of their stormwater infrastructure decision making, including watershed‐scale issues and other added complexities like climate change and social norms (complexities also suggested by Jacobs et al. 2022). They also find regional differences in stormwater professionals' decision making related to water quality (eastern states) vs. water quantity (western states) and potentials for green infrastructure solutions to more effectively help them link land and water.…”

“…They focus on cooperation and partnership between and within these scales to mobilize sustainability transitions. Jacobs et al (2022) focus on the need to integrate planning across scales since different environmental issues occur and are dealt with through institutions with authority and influence in varying geographies (e.g., state, watershed, irrigation district, municipal, and individual property).…”

“…In their four examples, the integration occurs through analysis, by design, from conceptual borrowing, and via facilitation and, despite general application to many communities, it is context that determines specific outcomes, adopted practices, and instituted policies. Jacobs et al (2022) highlight that environmental challenges are highly context dependent, including being influenced by social norms, population/demographic changes, and physical and climatic differences. Jacobs et al's (2022) call to look at "the intersection of the climate-land use-energy-water systems collectively" (p. 2) is an important consideration in this featured collection looking at integrated water-land planning.…”

“…Developing paths forward to allow for adaptive management in planning, policy, and rulemaking and for institutional transformations rely not only on good analytic and evaluative techniques, but on the ability to build and use interdisciplinary teams, partnerships, and champions of new ideas to work on complex issues, as reinforced in the articles by Turner et al (2022) and Endter-Wada et al (2022). Issues at the intersections of climateland use-energy-water systems are critical, as the questions raised in table 1 by Jacobs et al (2022) indicate, which highlights why creating frameworks for coordination and integration across scales is so important. As the "Findings Statement and Call to Action" reminds us, integrating equity, health, and safety should be at the heart of every inquiry and practice, and our professions need to commit to guiding principles that help us keep this focus at the forefront of our work.…”

“…Jacobs et al. (2022) highlight that environmental challenges are highly context dependent, including being influenced by social norms, population/demographic changes, and physical and climatic differences.…”