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Download Request for Project Funding – Climate Change
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Form No RES FOR 13 FORM TITLE - Request for Project Funding – Climate Change Working title: Better data-driven decision making under future climate uncertainty. Problem statement: Water industry decision makers require decision-appropriate techniques to select and use available climate data to make sound business, planning and operational decisions for an uncertain future, in line with the WSAA climate change adaptation guidelines. Background/ Description: A National approach: Water utilities across Australia need to plan for an uncertain future while at all times being able to justify to their customers and regulators the prudence and efficiency of their capital and operating expenditure. This task can be made easier through development of a nationally consistent approach that enables utilities to improve the evidence base and transparency of their decision making with regards to future climate and, water resource availability and demand. Water utilities are thus the target audience; however, stakeholders from other sectors will be engaged and will benefit from the development of this framework i.e. environmental, health and economic regulators, planning authorities, and government research organisations. Identification of utility decisions which use climate data: Utilities continually use climate data to manage their systems and plan for the future. The project will identify the utility decisions that use climate information and hence need to consider future climate, whether it is altered variability or long term change. This survey includes decisions related to, but not limited to; water demand, assessment of alternative and recycled water schemes, system augmentation planning and yield analysis, environmental impact assessments, extreme events, short-, mid-, and long-term trends, identified risks and mitigations, asset capability and asset management, board reporting/KPIs and planning integration with external organisations. After an initial screening of the identified decisions to select the types and scale that are material for a utility, there is a need to assess for each selected type/scale of decision: the data required and how readily it is obtained, how to ensure the data is correct, who accesses and analyses the data and who ultimately makes the decision, what methods and techniques are used to analyse the data, if there are trigger points, relevant metrics or pre-set conditions in the decision making process, which decisions are sensitive to different techniques, the identification of vulnerabilities and adaptation options, and how the decision making process is associated with the risk management approach. Defining the required information and how to use it for robust decision making: Water utilities need to understand, communicate and integrate climate change and variability into their “business as usual” water planning and management practices. The project will identify types and compile sources of data appropriate to particular decisions and decision making processes. This will include consideration of the multiple, complex sources of uncertainty that is involved in forecasting (climate, population, economy) and how this can be usefully and transparently be incorporated within the decision making process. An important element of this is considering how to integrate uncertain projections into risk management and business decision frameworks. A framework will be developed that aids a water utility to adopt a consistent and defensible approach to future projections. The framework will consider that utilities vary in size and capacity. Integrated Water Planning: Our communities require a more integrated approach that involves water utilities to contribute to the building of infrastructure. Water utilities are involved in mid to long term 1 | Page Water Research Australia Limited ABN 32 127 974 261 Level 3 250 Victoria Square Adelaide SA 5000 Postal: GPO Box 1751 SA 5001 Telephone +61 8 7424 2445 Facsimile +61 8 7003 2445 Website www.waterra.com.au Form No RES FOR 13 FORM TITLE - Request for Project Funding – Climate Change planning decisions that include many other entities. This project will assess links and needs of the external stakeholders and how water utilities can engage in the planning process particularly to support climate change planning. As a part of this assessment, recommendations will be made on how to improve this engagement, taking into consideration the review of decision making framework in earlier work. Objectives: The objectives of this project are to: Better understand which types of utility decisions require the use of which climate data, both now and in the future Demonstrate how future climate projections can be included in decision making Develop analytical processes and a framework to assist robust, defensible and transparent decision-making Engage water industry stakeholders towards a nationally consistent approach to future climate adaptation by utilities Alignment with strategy: The intention of this project is to underpin the WSAA Climate Change Adaptation Guidelines (currently in draft final version) with more detail to ensure industry practitioners use the most appropriate data and techniques for the type and scale of their water industry decision-making. Overall, the research should align with relevant state and federal legislative requirements, as well as take into consideration the corporate strategies of the contributing utilities and their regulators. Broader contextual alignment should be with state or regional growth plans as needed. Primary deliverable: A framework to assist Australian water utilities to consider climate and water futures in their planning and management activities, based upon: An investigation of the data available and decision making processes that utilities can use and how the information is translated into business and adaptation decisions A synthesis of the information available and needed for future climate adaptation planning A toolbox of techniques and approaches to analysing the climate change information available, including how to deal with uncertainty and gaps in the information Other deliverables: Knowledge transfer plan that identifies activities to support the implementation and capability building of the framework. Communication plan: This project requires extensive stakeholder engagement to achieve its purpose. Participants will need to engage with organisations nationally, at different levels of government (federal to local), research organisations as well as several water utilities. The communication plan will need to show how regular engagement will occur and the budget allowed for face-to-face meetings. The project team will be required to co-design the deliverables with the research organisations and keep the climate data user and decision makers engaged throughout the project. In particular, government and political stakeholders will be important contributors and influencers of this project 2 | Page Water Research Australia Limited ABN 32 127 974 261 Level 3 250 Victoria Square Adelaide SA 5000 Postal: GPO Box 1751 SA 5001 Telephone +61 8 7424 2445 Facsimile +61 8 7003 2445 Website www.waterra.com.au Form No RES FOR 13 FORM TITLE - Request for Project Funding – Climate Change Outputs will need to be conveyed through the WaterRA network as well as WSAA. Project outputs to assist with ongoing communication of the project include: Factsheets – as determined by the project leader which succinctly convey the key findings of the project Guidance factsheet on the decision support framework Final workshop or roadshow Training syllabus Knowledge Transfer plan: Implementation of this framework is recognised as being a significant and complex portion of this project given its wide engagement nationally. Capacity building of water utility professionals in the area of future climate assessment is a key deliverable of this project. As such, the Knowledge Transfer plan is a separate deliverable to be developed after initial engagement with stakeholders and an assessment has been made of the activities required to implement the framework. Development of the Knowledge Transfer plan will be included as a milestone scheduled as determined by the project leader and included in the budget. Interested Stakeholders: From the workshop: WaterRA members – AWQC/SA Water, Melbourne Water, Coliban Water, UNSW, Adel Uni, Non-WaterRA members – BOM, CSIRO, WSAA Potential others – WA Water Corp, Hunter, Seqwater, Sydney Water, Regulators (Env, Eco, Health) around Australia, Water NSW, Yarra Valley, SE Water, City West Water All WaterRA members to be approached for interest Indicative Funding required: Indicative range $150k - $200k cash, depending on the in-kind contributions Duration: The project duration is expected to be between 2 and 3 years. Intellectual Property: WaterRA will own the IP in accordance with the Members’ Agreements. Investigative or Research approach AWQC will be the Project Leader but has offered to collaborate with WaterRA research members (UNSW, Adel Uni, Griffith) and government research organisations (CSIRO and BOM). In-kind contributions from other water utilities are required to develop the decision support framework; which may include response to survey, interviews, case studies and analysis of IT records (web searches). In-kind contributions from other regulatory organisations are required to assist with development of decision support framework. What are the anticipated benefits? Utility Benefits Productivity Service Delivery Risk Management Risk Management Integrated and consistent approach to the assessment of climate and water future which leads to better risk management Productivity - Increase in uptake and use of climate information and transparency in climate change decision making which will aid in regulatory approvals Productivity - Increased likelihood of investing in correct 3 | Page Water Research Australia Limited ABN 32 127 974 261 Level 3 250 Victoria Square Adelaide SA 5000 Postal: GPO Box 1751 SA 5001 Telephone +61 8 7424 2445 Facsimile +61 8 7003 2445 Website www.waterra.com.au Form No RES FOR 13 FORM TITLE - Request for Project Funding – Climate Change adaptation programs Service Delivery - Customers and communities will have better reliability of supply with greater price certainty and an appreciation of how their water service providers are managing the impacts of climate change Risk Management – Reputational, though demonstrated improvements in planning, communication and management of weather-related events Productivity - Better understanding of (and hence targeted investment in) research needed to monitor climate and water futures Research Partner Benefits Publication outputs Uptake - Application of research methods within water utilities Uptake - More targeted/better defined research questions to support industry Organisational Learning - Increase in skilled practitioners in climate change assessment and planning Capacity Building Benefits How will this result in practice change, organisational learning or improvements for society What will success look like (KPI’s)? Practice Change - Improved utility processes to assess climate and water futures and incorporate the associated uncertainty into practical decision making Practice Change - Improved integration with other external stakeholders to deliver more efficient community projects Improvement for Society - Business and community confidence if water industry services are reliable into the future despite the impacts of climate change Climate change adaptation is business as usual within the water utility Regulator ready information to support business cases Water, wastewater services and costing are reliable and prices are certain Best practice planning for climate change Reliable water supply and water industry services 4 | Page Water Research Australia Limited ABN 32 127 974 261 Level 3 250 Victoria Square Adelaide SA 5000 Postal: GPO Box 1751 SA 5001 Telephone +61 8 7424 2445 Facsimile +61 8 7003 2445 Website www.waterra.com.au Form No RES FOR 13 FORM TITLE - Request for Project Funding – Climate Change Indicative Funding Name: ....................................................... Date: ………………………………………………………………. FOR CASH FUNDING AMOUNT OF $................................................................. FOR INKIND FUNDING AMOUNT OF $...................................................................... FOR FINANCIAL YEAR/S………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5 | Page Water Research Australia Limited ABN 32 127 974 261 Level 3 250 Victoria Square Adelaide SA 5000 Postal: GPO Box 1751 SA 5001 Telephone +61 8 7424 2445 Facsimile +61 8 7003 2445 Website www.waterra.com.au