Flooding, sea level rise among city's greatest projected risks

Canadian Underwriter: A risk assessment of local climate change events for Victoria, British Columbia as projected to 2050 indicates flooding and sea level rise are among the greatest risks. “The projected impacts of most climate change-related events were determined to, individually, have low or medium risk. In reality, our community will experience more than one impact at a time, so this could translate to a larger combined risk,” notes a statement from the City of Victoria.

The recently completed assessment cites an estimated sea level rise of 45 centimetres by 2050, most visible during winter high tides. By 2100, the extreme high estimate of sea level rise for Victoria is 0.89 to 0.94 metres. Couple higher sea levels with more frequent and intense storm events – which the assessment pegs at as much as 15% – and winter may prove more eventful.

“With the increase of intensity and frequency of winter storms, in conjunction with high winter tides, we will also see an increase in storm surges, waves that are pushed onshore from high winds,” the city reports. This combination may put some buildings and infrastructure at risk.

While localized flooding is already a yearly event in the region, larger floods “can create substantial property damage. Combined with other storm-related impacts, downed trees, power outages, road closures and insurance losses, the late fall and early winter storm season in Victoria is likely to present higher risks.”...

Victoria's inner harbor, shot by Dmgerman, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license

Infrastructure projects in Victoria to save one billion litres of Australian water

GovMonitor (Australia): Nearly one billion litres of water will be saved each year for local communities across Victoria, through the roll-out of three new water saving infrastructure projects. Water saved will ease the demand on local drinking water supplies in Phillip Island, Sunbury and south-west Victorian communities.

The projects will also deliver improved water security for residents and businesses in these communities. Hume City Council, Wannon Water and Westernport Region Water Corporation will share in more than $3.7 million in Federal Government funding, with projects due to start later this year.

In Sunbury today, Minister for Water Senator Penny Wong said the projects will ensure a vibrant future for local communities. “The emerging effects of climate change and varying population patterns mean communities across Australia face increasing pressure in securing their water supplies,” Senator Wong said.

…Projects that will be rolled out include:

• construction of a recycled water pipeline to the local sports reserve in Sunbury;
• water tanks at five Sunbury early education and childhood centres to supply water for gardens and flushing toilets;
• delivery of high quality recycled water to residents and businesses on Phillip Island, and;
• a new monitoring system to improve mains leak detection and response times in the Otway ranges, south-west Victoria….

Whittlesea and Yan Yean Reservoir in Victoria view from North. Whittlesea is in the foreground. Yan Yean village is in the background, with the reservoir in between. Shot by Graeme Bartlett, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license