Developing Robust Strategies for Climate Change and Other Risks

A Water Utility Framework

by David G. Groves, Jordan R. Fischbach, Nidhi Kalra, Edmundo Molina-Perez, David Yates, David Purkey, Amanda Fencl, Vishal K. Mehta, Ben Wright, Grantley Pyke

RAND researchers and collaborators present a comprehensive approach for water utilities to assess climate risks to their systems and evaluate adaptation strategies. The approach, based on Robust Decision Making, is demonstrated through pilot studies with two water utilities: Colorado Springs Utilities and New York City Department of Environmental Protection.

Please note: This report is not available on the RAND website but can be downloaded from the Water Research Foundation website.

Table of Contents

  • Chapter One

    Introduction and Motivation

  • Chapter Two

    The Robust Decision Making Framework

  • Chapter Three

    Colorado Springs Utilities — Climate Risk Assessment in an Integrated Water Resource Plan

  • Chapter Four

    Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Risk Management for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection

  • Chapter Five

    Conclusions

  • Appendix A

    Colorado Springs Utilities Pilot Study Supplemental Material

  • Appendix B

    New York City Department of Environmental Protection Pilot Study Supplemental Material

  • Appendix C

    Case Studies of Utility Vulnerability Assessments

The research described in this report was prepared for the Water Research Foundation and conducted in the Environment, Energy, and Economic Development Program within RAND Justice, Infrastructure, and Environment.

This report is part of the RAND Corporation research report series. RAND reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.

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