Water management and adaptation strategies in response to different climate scenarios for a small community in the arid and semiarid domain

Research proposal super draft By Salvatore Campisi

Several hypothesis have been already advanced to interpret and explain the current climate patterns (ICPCC, 2007). Several attempts are currently in place to predict and model future scenarios (Issar, 2008). While just few years ago it was disputed whether climate change was taking place or not, nowadays it a larger consensus has been reached on the occurrence of extreme weather events (EWE) and other extraordinary phenomena such as global warming.

Moreover, political debates and scientific discussions have been coupled to assess to which extent anthropogenic factors are creating and/or accelerating climate change. Regardless to the contrasting, hypothesis, opinions and agenda, one fact is obvious: human beings must adapt to new scenarios now.

Adaptation measures should be studied in response to diversified environmental and social scenarios at local and micro level. On the other hand, mitigation strategies can be effective only as a result of a joint international efforts. The political and technical decisions that will be implemented in the next few years, both in terms of adaptation and mitigation efforts, will very much reshape the life style of the future generations.

This research regards adaptation strategies in the field of water management for small communities in response to different institutional and environmental scenarios.

Given a number of possible scenarios (coupled with their likelihood to happen) regarding a number of factors such as: water quotas and prices, water quality demand, energy cost, population growth, waste water quality standards, the study will focus on a model to optimize (minimum cost, maximum benefit) a dynamic water resource management scenario. This require a systemic approach to water management, the so called integrated management, with special attention to the interconnection between water use and production as well as energy use and production.

Results would include: (1) estimates on the cost of adaptation, which is a largely debated topic where micro scale empirical studies are relatively uncommon; (2) the strategies of adaptation, meaning for instance, the best combination of energy saving measure VS water saving measures; (3) optimal governance and water policy, meaning, those institutional policies (price leverage, incentives, disincentives as well as command and control regulations) that would favor the development of those conditions supportive of an efficient water management eco-industrial-system at local level.

Notes: January 2010,

this subject is not attractive anymore. Modelling generic adaptation strategy for a specific case study is a consultancy exercise. There is little or no science that I can enhance in this field. Moreover, results are often idealistic and nobody will ever use them, especially because adaptation is a slow and progressive process, and the actor of adaptation rarely relay on external scientists. They do feel to understand their own environment better than any other and they rarely take into consideration external “consultancy” (again it is a consultancy work) that actually they never call and or ask for.

The focus of interest has changed