How will climate change affect our water resources? The impacts of climate change are here and becoming more and more apparent. One existential climate issue is the impact of climate change on local water resources. Water utilities are already experiencing the effects of a changing climate on their water supplies, not to mention the stress water supplies are experiencing in rapidly urbanizing areas.

On May 2, 2018 at the Palmer Events Center, Austin Water will host a one-day forum “Creating Resilient Cities,” that focuses on how water utilities are leading the way in adapting to climate change to enhance resilience for our communities. This forum is cohosted with the Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA), a leader in this field and currently marking its tenth year, and the City’s Office of Sustainability. Renowned climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe from Texas Tech University will give the plenary keynote.

This forum will feature three sessions exploring issues such as water rights and regional collaboration in the Colorado River basin of the arid Southwest, creating resilient utilities in the face of extremes, and the opportunities and challenges of incorporating climate information into a range of water sector functions. Water utility leaders will discuss the particular challenges faced by their utilities and what they are doing to meet these challenges.

DRAFT Agenda

Location: Palmer Events Center, Palmer Auditorium

900 Barton Springs Road Austin, TX 78704

Rooms 1, 2 and 3

1:00 PM Welcome: Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo

1:10 PM Keynote: Dr. Katharine Hayhoe

1:40 PM The Other Colorado River: Leveraging Partnerships to Share Shortage

2:50 PM Break

3:00 PM Incorporating Climate Information into Water Utility Planning, Engineering and Operations

4:00 PM Resilient Utilities in the Face of Extremes

5:00 PM Adjourn