This document discusses various issues related to water security and challenges facing the US and world regarding water. It covers topics like drought, water quality problems, flood damage, coastal risks from climate change, aging infrastructure, and the water-energy nexus. It notes the lack of a unified national water vision/policy in the US. Globally, it discusses transboundary water conflicts and the large number of people without access to safe water. The document argues more holistic and cooperative approaches are needed to address complex water issues.

1. US, the World,
and Water

2. Water is the best
of all things.
Pindar, 500 BC
When the well's
dry, we know the
worth of water.
Benjamin Franklin, Poor
Richard's Almanac, 1746
Whiskey is for drinking; water is for
fighting over
Mark Twain ca 1881

3. Jack and Jill went up the hill to
fetch a pail of water.“ But Jack fell
down when tests came back
showing a high count of two
water-borne parasites known as
cryptosporidia and giardia lamblia
in his restaurant's water.
It's the water, stupid. Sorry about
that, but it is. If we don't pay
attention to the water, it's going to
bite us big time.“
21st Century Blogs
Tomorrow Is Not Going to Be Like Yesterday

4. The 21st Century
"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore”

5. The 21st Century
• Population Explosion
• Pressures for Development
• Scarce Resources
• Technological Surge
• Change
• Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous
National and World Situations

6. The Climate Change Bears
 Sea Level Rise
 Increased Hurricane
Intensity -SST
 Increased Flood
Potential
 Increased Drought
 Increased
Temperatures
 More Storms
 Uncertainty

7. CLIMATE CHANGE!
A strong, credible body of scientific evidence
shows that climate change is occurring, is
caused largely by human activities, and poses
significant risks for a broad range of human and
natural systems,
7

8.  It is virtually certain that increases in
the frequency and magnitude of warm
daily temperature extremes and
decreases in cold extremes will occur
in the 21st century at the global scale.
 It is very likely that the length,
frequency, and/or intensity of warm
spells or heat waves will increase over
most land areas.
 It is likely that the frequency of heavy
precipitation or the proportion of total
rainfall from heavy falls will increase in
the 21st century over many areas of
the globe.

9. Ten Warmest 12-month consecutive periods of the CONUS
Record
These are the warmest 12-month periods on record for the contiguous United States. The record begins
January 1895 .
Temperature Departure
Consecutive 12-month
Rank (from 20th Century
Period
Average)
Warmest May 2011 – April 2012* +2.80°F
November 1999 – October
2nd Warmest +2.70°F
2000
October 1999 – September
3rd Warmest +2.65°F
2000
4th Warmest April 2011 – March 2012* +2.61°F
September 2005 – August
5th Warmest +2.56°F
2006
6th Warmest August 2005 – July 2006 +2.54°F
September 1999 – August
+2.54°F
2000
8th Warmest July 1999 – June 2000 +2.51°F
9th Warmest June 1999 – May 2000 +2.46°F
August 1999 – July 2000 +2.46°F

10. Climate Change and the NFIP

11. Water Security:
Flash Points and Challenges Ahead
Dallas, Texas
2 April 2013
Gerald E. Galloway, Jr., PE, PhD
Water Policy Collaborative, University of Maryland

12. The World and the US Face Major
Water Challenges

13. Water Security
• The reliable availability of an acceptable
quantity and quality of water for health,
livelihoods and production, and
• An ability to deal with water-related
disasters such as floods, hurricanes and
drought
Adapted from David Gray and Claudia Sadoff

14. US Water Challenges
Drought and Water
Demand
• 2002 - 49 percent of the
contiguous United States in
moderate to extreme drought
• 2005-2007 Drought Grows in
West and Southeast
• 2011 – Texas ‘On Fire”
• Uncertainty - Climate
Change

15. Source NRDC

16. US Water Challenges
Water Quality
• 55% of the nation’s
river and stream miles
do not support
healthy populations of
aquatic life
• Non-point source
pollution not yet
controlled (TMDLs?)
• Number of new
contaminants on rise

17. US Water Challenges
Water Quality
• Alien Invasive Species (AIS)
growing threat
• Airborne
pollution
increasing
• Fracking

18. US Water Challenges
Floods
• 76 Years of Flood Control
• 44 Years of Flood Insurance
• Increasing Flood Damages
• Average annual losses -
$8 Billion Inadequate
Protection
• Inadequate Maintenance

19. city of Dallas/ David Mimlitch
City of Dallas/ David Mimlitch

20. Illustrative Result – Changes to Flood Areas
Climate Change and the NFIP AECOM 20

21. Coastal Flood Area Change
Gulf of Mexico (Illustrative, not final)
Climate Change and the NFIP 21

22. US Water Challenges
Ports , Harbors and Waterways in Transition
• Limiting Port Depths
• US Ports ~45 foot depths
• International Ports > 60 foot
depths –Panamax II Capable
• Inland Waterway System
• Limited Size Locks
• Traffic Congestion
• Age
• Economic Viability

23. US Water Challenges
Protecting the Environment
• Wetland and Species Losses
• ~ 60,000 acres annual wetland
loss
• >1370 threatened or endangered
plants and animals (1100 plans)
• Need for minimum instream flows
and flood pulses

24. 100 Years of Civil
Engineering at Maryland

26. US Water Challenges
Water - Energy Nexus
• Water for Energy and Fuel
Production
• Energy for Water Production
• Exploitation of Renewable
Sources
• Maximizing Sustainable Use
of Hydro Capabilities

27. US Water Challenges
Dealing with Conflicts

28. 1. The Nation Lacks a National Water
Vision and a Water Policy
2. Water Efforts Are Uncoordinated
3. Water Must Be Dealt with in a Holistic
Manner

29. US Water Challenges
Dealing with Global Water Challenges
• Water and Sanitation (MDG)
• Water Supply
• Disasters
• Transboundary Water
Relationships
• Major Basin Development

30. Water Factoids
• One Billion People Lack Access to Safe
water
• Two Billion People Live in Countries
under Water Stress
• Five Million People Die Each Year from
Water-related Illness
Source: DOS;FP

31. Cubic Meters of Water Per Capita by Basin
Source: Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database

32. Basic Needs
Can
Be
Met

33. SHARING WATER RESOURCES
• There are 263
transboundary basins
• 145 nations have territory
within a transboundary
basin, and 21 lie entirely
within one.
• 12 countries have more
than 95% of their territory
within one or more
transboundary basins.
• On third of the
transboundary basins are
shared by more than two
countries.

34. Good Neighbors?
• 97% of Egypt’s Nile Water
dependent on 8 other nations
• 66% of Iraq’s Water dependent
on Turkey
• 19 Countries rely on Imported
Water for > 50% of renewable
resources
Source: SEI, Polestar Series, Report 4

35. Water Basins at Risk
Source: TFDD

36. Virtual Water

37. Basics!

38. Water Supply
Floods
Power
Pollution
Infrastructure
Navigation

41. Water Supply
Floods
Power
Pollution
Infrastructure

44. Impediments to Progress
• Lack of Policy
– US Internal
– US Foreign Policy
• Little Interest in Water
• Denial of Change Impacts
• Focus on Small Projects
• Nervousness about Major Projects
• Limited Funding

45. The Challenge
• Involve All Elements of Society and All
Nations in a Complex Political, Social
and Technical Process
• Export Our Lessons Learned, Not Our
Mistakes
Are We Ready?