Averting water crisis by forecasting the future

Science World in Vancouver overlooking the water with the city in the background

Water is a basic human need. But how we use it is changing, partly due to the demands our cities put upon it and partly due to the impact climate change has on water supply and availability. Water scarcity causes huge disruptions to service supply. Too much water can result in extensive flood damage. Both result in severe social and economic impacts on the community.

With availability less certain, urban planning has to take these complex water cycles into account when it comes to designing, constructing, and maintaining their water management infrastructure. However, a core challenge is that basing a water management system purely on historical data is a risk; a smarter, more integrated approach is the key for long-term solutions.

Incorporating climate change uncertainty into water management strategies

Our work with Metro Vancouver is a great example of how GHD can support these transitions.

Metro Vancouver, a federation of 21 municipalities in Canada, had previously been basing their planning and investment decisions on historic rainfall records and combined sewer overflow records, even though climate change is causing significant shifts in those patterns.

The federation sought to bring their systems into a modern reality through innovative thinking, and asked us to help identify future climate projections of key climate parameters.

The GHD Digital team assisted Metro Vancouver in developing a framework for incorporating the uncertainty associated with future climate projections into the development of adaptation strategies for stormwater and sewer management.

Future-proofing water management for safer streets

Building a methodology for identifying risk and the vulnerability in Metro Vancouver’s current system allowed us to create a robust new digital platform. This new platform is now based on predictive future data stacks that combines historic data with global research so future climate predictions and investment choices can be made.

Metro Vancouver initiated the integration of effective data management and analysis into its stormwater and sewer management framework so that their engineering designs could more directly account for climate change.

As a result, the communities living in the 21 municipalities benefit from safer streets and waterways, thanks to optimised drainage systems across the city. Runoff, stormwater, and water treatment are better controlled, and Vancouver and its residents be confident that their water management plans are future-ready.