CAREER: Vulnerability of Water Infrastructure to Climate Variability and Change: Implications for Sustainable Water Management

该奖项由《2009年美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)资助。该学院早期职业发展奖(CAREAR)的研究目标是了解人口增长、水-能源关系、气候变化和脆弱性在耦合的人-环境系统中复杂而动态的相互作用。这项研究的主要目的是以系统方法为基础，为水资源的可持续管理制定一个新的理论框架，以减少水资源基础设施在与气候有关的极端事件(洪水、干旱)中的脆弱性。在此理论框架的基础上，利用系统动力学建模方法开发了一个动态决策支持系统。该决策支持系统将用于评估基础设施(水系统、防洪系统)对气候多变和变化的脆弱性，并分析水资源可持续(具有成本效益、减少能源和碳足迹)管理的不同短期和长期政策。这一框架可能会改变工程师和规划者设计、评估和选择水开发和供水项目的方式，并将有助于改进工程方法，以促进智能增长。评估水资源基础设施对气候多变和变化的脆弱性可以拯救生命和减少财产损失，从而使社会受益。该项目将为研究生、本科生和K-12学生提供研究经验。利益攸关方将参与项目设计；成果将向科学界和政策制定者传播；公众将通过外联活动提高对可持续水管理问题的认识。将为研究生开发一个关于可持续水资源管理的跨学科课程，并为K-12学生开发一个水资源管理模拟游戏。通过培训下一代工程师的可持续水管理做法，预计将产生重大的社会效益。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The research objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award is to understand the complex and dynamic interactions among population growth, water-energy nexus, climate change, and vulnerability, in a coupled human-environmental system. The main objective of this research is the development of a new theoretical framework, based on systems approach, for sustainable management of water resources that will reduce the vulnerability of water infrastructure to climate related extreme events (floods, droughts). Based on this theoretical framework, a dynamic decision support system (DSS) will be developed using system dynamics modeling approach. This DSS will be used to evaluate vulnerability of infrastructure (water systems, flood control systems) to climate variability and change and to analyze different short- and long-term policies for sustainable (cost-effective, reduced energy and carbon footprints) management of water resources. This framework will potentially transform the way engineers and planners design, evaluate and choose water development and water supply projects, and will contribute to advancing engineering methods to promote smart growth. Vulnerability assessment of water infrastructure to climate variability and change can benefit society by saving lives and reducing damage to property. This project will provide research experience to graduate, undergraduate, and K-12 students. Stakeholders will participate in project design; results will be disseminated to scientific community and policy makers; and the public awareness on sustainable water management issues will increase through outreach activities. An interdisciplinary course on Sustainable Water Resources Management for graduate students and a water management simulation game for K-12 students will be developed. Significant societal benefits through the training of next generation of engineers in sustainable water management practices are anticipated.