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Engineering Now .: Volume 4 - Edition 9 .: July and August=20 2008

Professor Slobodan P. Simonovic awarded three new grants to continue = research

Slobodan P. Simonovic, a professor in Department of Civil & = Environmental=20 Engineering, and Director, Engineering Studies for the Institute for=20 Catastrophic Loss Reduction, has received new funding to continue his = research=20 into the impact of climate change on water resources management. = Simonovic is=20 internationally recognized for his work on attempting to predict how = climate=20 change is influencing precipitation patterns and the potential impacts = of=20 changing conditions on the water resources management infrastructure.=20

Recently it was announced he is receiving new funds from the = City of=20 London for two studies. One will be designed to update the City's = current=20 Intensity Duration Frequency curves (IDF), using the data collected at = the=20 London Airport from 1965 until 2007. The second deals with the = vulnerability of=20 municipal infrastructure to climate change.

Simonovic will also = work=20 with colleagues from the University of Waterloo on an extension of the = Canadian=20 Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS) study titled:=20 =93Quantifying the Uncertainty in Modelled Estimates of Future Extreme=20 Precipitation Events.=94

From the City of London, Prof. = Simonovic will=20 receive $20, 000 (over 3 months) to update the city=92s IDF curves, and = $180, 000=20 (over 18 months) for his flood risk study. CFCAS is providing $195, 200 = (over=20 two years) to continue the joint work between the University of Waterloo = and=20 Western that is looking into modelling estimates of future extreme = precipitation=20 events.

Background Information on Studies: =

In June=20 2007, Professor Simonovic completed a large study ($320,000 over 3 = years)=20 entitled: =93Assessment of Water Resources Risk and Vulnerability to = Changing=20 Climatic Conditions=94, with the support of CFCAS. This study was the = first=20 serious attempt to model the impacts of climatic change on water = resources=20 management on local =96 watershed scale. The Upper Thames River basin = was used as=20 a case study.

The results of the analyses were used to provide = three=20 sets of recommendations for changing current basin management = guidelines:=20

1) Regulatory (review of rules, regulations and operation = procedures for=20 existing water management infrastructure)
2) Budgetary (investment = in new=20 infrastructure and increase in cost of operating existing facilities) =
3)=20 Engineering (review of current design standards and practices). =

The=20 results of this work are available at: http= ://www.eng.uwo.ca/research/iclr/fids/cfcas-climate.html=20 in the form of 11 reports.
The summary findings were that: =

a)=20 Under climatic change the flooding in the Upper Thames river basin will=20 significantly increase in frequency and magnitude
b) The drier = climate=20 conditions do not show a tendency towards more extreme drought = conditions.=20

The results of this study were picked up by local media, = including the=20 London Free Press, Londoner and TV Channel A, who featured some of its=20 conclusions and raised questions about how well the City is addressing = the=20 climate change issue.

Professor Simonovic then received an = invitation=20 from the City to inform them about the study. Following his presentation = to=20 Council, the London community reacted with questions and concerns, and a = new,=20 small research study ($30,000 over 3 months) was initiated and completed = under=20 the title: =93Development of rainfall intensity-duration-frequency = curves for the=20 City of London under the changing climate=94. The study was completed in = December=20 2007 (available at http://= www.eng.uwo.ca/research/iclr/fids/london-idf.html).=20

Following these developments, the City of London began to look = towards=20 what can be done in the future to adopt to a changing climate. On = December 17,=20 2007, Council approved a two-phased Climate Change Adaptation Strategy:=20

a) Phase 1 - Climate Change Transition Strategy that = includes:=20

A review of other Ontario municipalities practices and standards = with=20 respect to climate change transition strategies=20

An update to the City's current Intensity Duration Frequency curves = (IDF),=20 using the data collected at the London Airport from 1965 until 2007=20

Use of the updated IDF for the design of storm drainage = infrastructure=20

Discussion with the Planning Department, Upper Thames River = Conservation=20 Authority and the Ministry of the Environment to address the = implications of=20 this review=20

Undertaking of a general risk and consequence analysis associated = with=20 predicted rainfall events in order to assist in determining an = acceptable level=20 of service.

b) Phase 2 - Climate Change Adaptation Long Term = Strategy=20 that includes:=20

Updating the Subwatershed studies to develop a long term water = resources=20 management strategy for London=20

Development of a Green Infrastructure Plan to incorporate an=20 environmental/ecological approach to water resources management. =

On June=20 9, 2008, Council approved $1.3 M over the next three years for the=20 implementation of a Climate Change Adaptation strategy. Two studies = awarded to=20 Prof. Simonovic are part of Phase 1 =96 transition strategy.=20

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Spencer Engineering = Building, Room=20 2074
Telephone: (519) 850-2917 Fax: (519) 661-3808
contactwe@eng.uwo.ca

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The=20 University of Western Ontario
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