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

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。该学院早期职业发展（CAREER）奖的研究目标是了解人口增长，水能源关系，气候变化和脆弱性之间复杂而动态的相互作用，在耦合的人类环境系统中。这项研究的主要目标是开发一个新的理论框架，基于系统方法，可持续管理水资源，减少水基础设施对气候相关极端事件（洪水，干旱）的脆弱性。在此理论框架的基础上，采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（供水系统、防洪系统）对气候多变性和变化的脆弱性，并分析不同的短期和长期政策，以实现水资源的可持续（具有成本效益、减少能源和碳足迹）管理。该框架将有可能改变工程师和规划者设计、评估和选择水资源开发和供水项目的方式，并将有助于推进工程方法，以促进智能增长。水基础设施对气候变异性和变化的脆弱性评估可以通过拯救生命和减少财产损失来造福社会。该项目将提供研究经验，研究生，本科生和K-12学生。利益有关者将参与项目设计;成果将传播给科学界和决策者;公众对可持续水管理问题的认识将通过外联活动得到提高。将为研究生开设一门关于可持续水资源管理的跨学科课程，并为K-12学生开发一个水管理模拟策略类游戏。预计通过培训下一代工程师进行可持续水管理实践将产生重大社会效益。

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.