Aligning Natural and Built Infrastructure for

Transcription

1 Aligning Natural and Built Infrastructure for Houston Climate Resilience National Exercise Program (NEP) Houston Climate Change Preparedness & Resilience Workshop Edmond J. Russo, Jr., PhD, PE, D.CE, D.NE, D.WRE Deputy District Engineer for Programs and Project Management US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Galveston District (SWG) 2 FEB 2015 US Army Corps of Engineers

2 Houston National Exercise Program (NEP) Climate Preparedness Workshop Sponsors: White House (WH) National Security Council Council on Environmental Quality WH Office of S&T Policy Federal Emergency Management Agency Goals: Advance climate adaptation dialogue Identify collaborative and sustainable approaches to community-based climate preparedness and resilience capabilities Series held in Houston, TX (6 OCT 14), Fort Collins, CO, and Anchorage, AK 2

3 Workshop Activities Recap relevant climate science at different scales: SLC and coastal storms Increasing temperatures Decreased freshwater availability Discuss scaled effects of climate change: Coastal lifelines Economic disruption Uneven social vulnerability Vulnerable ecosystems Assess state of adaptation awareness/preparedness 3

4 Workshop Activities (cont.) Identify challenges/opportunities across sectors from a whole community perspective in Houston area: Infrastructure systems (water, energy, petrochemical, and transportation sectors), Natural resources and ecosystems, Human health and social services, and Economy Focus on near term action identification as a collaborative whole community to sustainably prepare, plan for, or help mitigate climate impacts in the area 4

5 USACE Galveston District Missions Civil Works Navigation Flood Risk Management Environmental Restoration Interagency Support Customs & Border Protection Immigration & Customs Enforcement Int l Boundary & Water Commission Regulatory Section 10 and Section 404 Permits Disaster Response and Recovery FEMA Missions 5

6 USACE Texas Coast Strategy Maximizing Capital on Communicati Transparenc cy Stakeholder Community Lines of Effort Improve Navigation (Deepen / Widen / Safety / Capacity) Sustain Federal Projects (Dredging / Placement Area Management) Support non-federal Investment (Regulatory Permits, Real Estate Outgrants, Partnerships) Protect the Coastal Zone (Storm Damage, Ecosystem Restoration, Levee Certification) Future The Texas Coast is protected & resilient, positioned for sustainable economic growth with strategic partnerships p that support non-federal investment. 6

7 The Science of Resilience against Disturbances Resilience: the ability of a system to Prepare for, Resist, Recover, and Adapt to achieve functional performance under the stress of disturbances through time. Study Definition NAS Resilience is the ability to prepare (2012) and plan for, absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events. E.O. "resilience means the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to (2013) changing conditions and withstand, respond to, and recover rapidly from disruptions.. Engineering Environmental Community 7

8 In Context of Coastal Resilience What opportunities are there for achieving better alignment of natural and engineered systems? Can improved alignment reduce risks to life and property? What additional services can be produced? What are the science and engineering needs to achieve better alignment? 8

9 Harris County Watershed Management Projects Completed/Under Construction: Sims Bayou Brays Bayou Clear Creek Vince Bayou Little Vince Bayou White Oak Bayou 9

10 Tropical Storm Allison 8-9 JUN 2001 Flooded Residents 10

11 Houston 11

12 Houston Area Climate Resilience Strategies / Actions Addicks & Barker Reservoirs Phase 1: Ongoing to address dam seepage and piping issues at outlet structures into Buffalo Bayou Phase 2: Evaluate climate change methodology and apply to understand effects of climate change on performance Bayou Network: Regulate future development along Houston area bayous and tributaries for no net increase in flood hydrograph Provide development encroachment buffers (proposed) Introduce Natural and Nature Based Features (NNBFs) as part of flood risk management project while providing urban ecological / recreation functions 12

13 Brays Bayou NNBFs 13

14 USACE Storm Risk Management and Ecosystem Restoration Projects Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay Feasibility Study and Coastal Texas Recon Study Develop comprehensive plan with detailed regional focus Determine Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) risk reduction solutions Develop Ecosystem Restoration (ER) projects to restore areas to high functioning ecosystems Incorporate sea level rise into analyses Does not address potential changes in storm characteristics 14

15 Houston-Galveston Navigation Channel and Regional Ports Port of Houston Texas City Port and Channel Galveston Harbor and Channel Gulf Intracoastal Waterway 15

16 Risks/Vulnerabilities of Floods/Droughts on Houston Ship Channel Port of Houston Policy, program, and funding limitations to maintain and modernize infrastructure for resilience to weather emergencies Level of cross-agency preparedness for addressing weather disasters Storm-related loss of channel depth and use Storm-related contaminant spills into waterways requiring cleanup and that t inhibit ship traffic Displacement/disruption of the workforce due to flooding Surface transportation disruptions due to port area flooding Losses of power availability at landside facilities Water shortages could result in transfer of industry to areas with commercial water availability 16

17 Climate Resilience Strategies Houston Ship Channel Port of Houston Address policy, programs, and funding limitations to maintain/modernize infrastructure for resilience Evolve policies/programs/funding for enhanced preparedness Enhance agency coordination to improve evacuation and regeneration of workforce Increase readiness for rapid restoration of service to major surface transportation routes Have redundant power sources Use rail network as alternative transportation for goods 17

18 Assessing Long Term Vulnerability and Resilience using Performance Metrics Inundated under 1 ft of RSLR Drum Bay, Follets Island 18

19 Natural and Nature Based Features (NNBFs) for Coastal Resilience 19

20 System Performance Evaluation Level 1 Qualitative i characterization of performance Level 2 Semiquantitative characterization of performance Level 3 Quantitative characterization of performance 72 individual performance metrics identified for NNBF 20

21 Moving Forward on Coastal Resilience... Organize and expand science and engineering related to natural processes and features Reduce uncertainties regarding design and performance of NNBF Understand dynamic performance of NNBF How to effectively integrate NNBF with other measures Integrating expertise across disciplines and organizations Planning, designing, constructing, operating, monitoring, and maintaining integrated built infrastructure-nnbf systems 21

22 Workshop Outcomes Interagency, academic, and industry networking in a regional context Information exchange and better understanding of: Science/impacts/adaptation plans/needs within sectors, of others sectors, and in relationship across sectors Dialogue on specific experiences in sectors on impacts and reactions that may serve as best practices: Critical infrastructure flood-proofing for resilient operations Needs for improved emergency preparedness and response capabilities/capacities Capability redundancies to support HHS functions Improved transportation systems/procedures for human mass movements and sustaining multi-modal commerce Served for initial regional organization for next steps 22

23 NEP Next Steps in Houston Region Federal Integration Regional Strategy for Climate Preparedness - Houston (FIRSt for CP Houston) Compile existing federal climate preparedness data, strategies, and best practices for Houston region on climate change adaptation ti planning Provide integrated product to City of Houston for additional local integration efforts, considering regional demographics, preparedness plans, and levels of confidence in application of climate change information/predictions to adaptive planning 23

24 Acknowledgements Steve Fitzgerald, Chief Engineer, Harris County Flood Control District Mark Vincent, Director, Channel Development at Port of Houston Authority Todd S. Bridges, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist (ST), Environmental Science, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory 24

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