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Water Asset Management in Times of Climate Change and Digital Transformation pp 27–52Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

How Can Climate Change Impact upon Water Supply Assets?

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Part of the Palgrave Studies in Climate Resilient Societies book series (PSCRS)

Abstract

An iterative risk management approach to climate change, which considers vulnerability, hazards, exposure (risk assessment) and adaptation and resilience (risk treatment), is discussed in this chapter. Climate change impact projections with general resilience/adaptation measures related to water supply assets and water resources for Australia and southern Europe are outlined in this chapter. They are followed by a summary of 2019–2020 weather conditions for Australia and Malta (southern Europe). Subtropical Australia and Malta have been used as contextual examples in this book. Weather anomalies and extreme weather events such as Australia’s recent drought and megafires (2019–2020) and the earlier Millennium Drought (1999–2010), Queensland Flood (2011) and a flood in Townsville in the Northern Queensland (2019) are discussed. Subsequently, these events’ impacts on Level of Service (water supply services) are explored in more detail. They include impacts on water quantity and quality and hence on safety, quality, reliability and availability of supply, environmental sustainability and the last, but not least, cost.

Keywords

  • Risk management
  • Risk resilience
  • Risk adaptation
  • Climate change projections
  • Weather anomalies
  • Millennium Drought
  • Queensland Flood
  • Level of Service

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Fig. 3.1
Fig. 3.2

(Reproduced by permission of Bureau of Meteorology, © 2020 Commonwealth of Australia)

Fig. 3.3

(Reproduced by permission of Bureau of Meteorology, © 2020 Commonwealth of Australia)

Fig. 3.4

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  1. Asset Management & Sustainability, Senglea, Malta

    Robert Kijak

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Kijak, R. (2021). How Can Climate Change Impact upon Water Supply Assets?. In: Water Asset Management in Times of Climate Change and Digital Transformation. Palgrave Studies in Climate Resilient Societies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79360-9_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79360-9_3

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