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The most detailed interactive map yet of the United States’ vulnerability to dangers such as fire, flooding, and pollution was released on Monday by the Environmental Defense Fund and Texas A&M University. Clicking on a report for a census tract yields details on heat, wildfire smoke, and drought, in addition to what drives vulnerability to extreme weather, such as income levels and access to health care and transportation. #climatevulnerability

The California Water Plan contains a massive wave of information, so DWR is summarizing the highlights for you in smaller “splashes”! 💦 Today, let’s tackle the daunting topic of climate change impacting California’s water infrastructure. At the water sector level: water supply, water quality, wastewater, flood management, natural ecosystems, forest and fire management, land use, and water-energy nexus are at risk and are expected to become more vulnerable with climate change. If conditions continue, existing water supplies are expected to decrease by 10 percent by 2040, challenging many vulnerable Californians in accessing their human right to water. However, as intimidating as this figure is, DWR has created the California Water Plan to serve as a strategic roadmap for managing and improving water resources in California now and in the future. Read more about the California Water Plan at https://lnkd.in/gukcjGmB #California #WaterPlan #ClimateChange #Infrastructure

The Public Accounts Committee has warned the Government that its response to extreme weather is too short term, with not enough focus on supporting natural defences including woodlands, wetlands & floodplains. https://lnkd.in/eyDxcb7j In good condition these habitats are critical natural infrastructure that help protect communities & businesses from the effects of climate change. But with two thirds of England’s most important wildlife sites not in good condition, we're more exposed to flood, fire, & crop failure. At the moment, the main political parties have no long-term plan to invest in restoring our critical natural defences. We wouldn’t dream of living without a plan to maintain other critical national infrastructure, like roads or energy infrastructure, so why do we tolerate ongoing degradation of vital natural assets? Political leaders should commit to stronger duties on polluters to disclose their impacts on nature & pay for its restoration, alongside long-term public investment in nature.

The general election firing gun has been started. We now know that 4th July will be date of the next UK general election. We hope that all political parties will focus on urgently tackling sewage pollution. Our vision is for healthy, clean rivers that benefit people and wildlife, as described in our Five Year Plan. Policymakers will need to take tougher action on polluters. Policymakers will also need to work together with water companies, industry, NGOs, and the wider community in order to help protect our rivers, especially in the light of the climate emergency. Our rivers will need to be better prepared to tackle the impacts of floods and droughts brought on by the climate crisis. There is a need to develop nature-based solutions such as wetlands and raingardens to act like sponges to absorb these heavy downpours. We need more investment in these solutions. Overall, we need urgent action to protect our precious rivers. Read our Five Year Plan here: https://lnkd.in/eiJAp-n3 #fiveyearplan #riverthames #generalelection #policymaker #rivers #naturebasedsolutions #water #sewagepollution #climateemergency #Thames21 #londonriversweek2024

Wetlands are Getting Evaporated? . -North Carolina lawmakers passed a provision in last year’s Farm Act that prevented development only in wetlands protected by the federal government... . -...non-coastal wetlands could be open to development. Those wetlands cover 490,000 to 3.6 million acres... . -...the North Carolina bill’s passage...weeks after the...Sackett V. EPA decision, a rollback of federal wetlands protections...The decision narrowed which wetlands the federal Clean Water Act protects to those continuously “adjoining” streams, oceans, rivers and lakes in the U.S. . -wetlands that could lose federal protections...riparian buffer rules, vegetated areas near streams; watershed protection overlays that limit development and require stormwater controls in areas that are important to drinking water supplies; and floodplain protections that curb development in flood-prone areas. . -Citing reduced protections for...wetlands, Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the 2023 Farm Act...But legislators overrode Cooper’s veto. . -...wetlands...filter pollutants out of water and protect against flooding. An acre of wetlands can hold between a million and 1.5 million gallons of water, according to the EPA. . #environment #planet #water #clean #realestate #politic

The Colorado River is the lifeblood of the American West. It supports 30 Native American tribes and farms, cities, and ecosystems in seven US states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming—and the Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora. However, the river is in crisis. Twenty-three years of drought, the over-allocation of water, and climate change have exacerbated a structural deficit—where more water leaves the system than enters it.    Launching today, Pacific Institute report “Pathways & Barriers to Corporate Water Stewardship in the Colorado River Basin” highlights the significant role corporations can play in advancing water resilience. Based on interviews with corporate and non-corporate stakeholders, this report provides key findings for building water resilience through water stewardship.    Written by Pacific Institute Research Associate Dr. Christine Curtis and Senior Researchers Cora Snyder and Mike Cohen, #PathwaysandBarriers is the next installment in a longstanding body of work by the Pacific Institute on Colorado River issues and corporate water stewardship.    Read the report: https://lnkd.in/gDew2kHG   #PathwaysandBarriers #PacificInstitute #WaterResilience #WaterStewardship

🌊🌦️ California's Water Challenge: Climate Chaos and Opportunity 🌦️🌊 California faces a climatic rollercoaster. From droughts to epic floods, our state is experiencing unprecedented changes in weather. The summer of 2023 was the hottest on record, and the swings between dry and wet are becoming more pronounced. This chaos highlights the urgent need for better water management during wet years. California's water sector must step up to this challenge. Collaboration, cooperation, and a focus on the environment are essential. The Public Policy Institute of California notes some important steps to help us get to where we want to be: 💧 Let's harness the opportunities presented by wet years. 🌱 Recharge groundwater to benefit growers, city dwellers, and wildlife. 🏗️ Invest in infrastructure to protect communities from flooding and assist farmers and water systems. 🤝 Work together to make state and federal dollars go further. Read the entire article by Public Policy Institute of California in the link below ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gTPbxzwN

The core of the California Water Plan is our vision for a resilient and equitable water future in the face of historic drought, devastating wildfires, extreme heat waves, extreme precipitation, and flooding. This includes communities that will face the most severe environmental consequences first, known as frontline communities. Since the impacts of climate change affect everyone, the California Water Plan calls on everyone — State agencies and departments with water, regulatory, and climate responsibilities; regional water and resource managers and stewards at every scale across water sectors; and individual Californians — to act. Read more about the California Water Plan at https://lnkd.in/ggSiUYx7 #California #WaterPlan #ClimateChange #Infrastructure

With the recent news around threats to drinking water supply for communities in Gulf Coast, my colleage EmmaLi Tsai wanted to see what could she glean from the data around this issue on how many places are impacted beyond what makes media headlines. Unfortunately, it's a grim picture in terms of quality of information to then guide resilience and adaptation plans. 🗺 Surveys show that only 10% of drinking water utilities have a climate adaptation plan—and most are in California. 🚰 2. We need water utility service area boundaries - if we don’t know who gets drinking water from who, we won’t be able to tell who is (or will be) impacted by saltwater intrusion. 👫 We need interdisciplinary collaborations between surface, ground, and saltwater modelers to elucidate how salt moves through and across landscapes.  🤓 Underlying all of this is that most water utilities have 1-3 staff on board - we need better support to water utilities to address the myriad of challenges they face. Read more on the blog! https://lnkd.in/g8B7zgMR

🌿 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬? 🌊 👉 The Supreme Court of the U.S. removed federal oversight from millions of acres of wetlands under the Clean Water Act, shifting responsibility to states. 💰 States face funding challenges and the need to create or enforce regulations. 🚧 Loss of federal rules means unregulated waters in some states. 📜 Some states are working to replace lost protections, but it may take years. 💼 Staff and funding shortages are obstacles for many states. 🌱 Wetlands play a vital role in filtering pollution and providing habitat. 🏞️ Communities may face flooding and drought vulnerability without wetland protection. What are your thoughts on the impact of this Rule? 🔗 Content and photos source Link in comments ----------------- 👇👇👇𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒓 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒔, 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆: 🔍 Follow me & #20MinRule 🔔 Click the bell icon on my profile 👍 Like 🔁 Repost -------------- #WetlandProtection #CleanWaterAct #EnvironmentalProtection #StateRegulations #FundingChallenges #WetlandConservation #ClimateChangeImpact #WaterManagement