Download Climate Change

Climate Change
FY 2015 NW Region TTAP/BIA Symposium
Embassy Suites Portland – Airport
Portland, OR
March 16-19, 2015
Franco Yazzie, EIT
Highway Engineer
BIA NWRO – DOT
Portland, OR
Overview
A change in the statistical properties of
the climate system when considered over
long periods of time (i.e. several decades
to millions of years).
 Changes in temperature, precipitation,
wind patterns, or other effects.
 Accordingly, fluctuations over periods
shorter than a few decades, such as El
Nino, do not represent climate change.

Causes
Global warming
 Human activities and natural factors
 Variations in the sun’s solar energy that is
absorb by the Earth
 Changes in the reflectivity of Earth’s
atmosphere and surface
 Increased Greenhouse Gases (i.e. carbon
dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and
fluorinated gases)

Impacts
Rising global temperatures
 Changes in increase/decrease rainfall
 More frequent and severe heat waves,
droughts, and flooding
 Warmer and more acidic oceans
 Rising sea levels
 Melting ice caps and glaciers
 Increased wildfires

Affects
Water supplies, agriculture, and the
natural environment
 Power and transportation systems
 Natural animal habitat(s)
 Forest and plant life
 Human health and safety
 Economies and cultures
 Coastlines and so much more

Addressing Climate Change
Adopt policies to reduce energy use
 Adopt carbon taxes and cap-and-trade
systems
 Limit greenhouse gas emissions
 Build a clean energy economy
 Water conservation
 Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

94th Annual TRB Meeting
January 11-15, 2015 in Washington, DC
 Attracts more than 12,000 transportation
professionals around the world
 Transportation Research Board Meeting
covers all transportation modes with
more than 5,000 presentations in nearly
750 sessions and workshops
 Several climate change related
presentations (i.e. Gulf Coast Study)

FHWA Involvement
Develop tools that analyze a region’s
Greenhouse Gas emissions and can assist
in developing policies that help to reduce
them.
 Vulnerability assessment framework
 Climate/Extreme Weather Risk
Management Tool
 Memo clarifying use of highway funds for
adaptation activities.

Gulf Coast Study
Pilot project in Mobile, Alabama.
 The project’s mission includes assessing
vulnerabilities and adaptation of a
metropolitan transportation system.
 Also, to develop methods, resources, and
tools that will assist transportation
agencies around the country

Gulf Coast Study
Phase 1 – Overview of climate change
impacts on transportation infrastructure
in central Gulf Coast (completed in
2008).
 Phase 2 – a) Focus on one metropolitan
area (Mobile, Alabama).
 Phase 2 - b) Development of adaptation
tools and strategies that will be
transferable to other areas.

Key Findings in Mobile

Projected climate changes
◦ Develop project climate data

Vulnerability assessment
◦ High-level analysis to find representative
assets most likely to be vulnerable to climate
change

Engineering assessments
◦ Detailed assessments of specific assets in
Mobile
◦ 11 case studies
Key Findings in Mobile

Projected climate changes
◦ Increased temperature events (above 95°F)
◦ Precipitation for 100-year storm projected to
become stronger
◦ Sea level rise suggest a range of 1 to 6.6 feet
(0.3 to 2.0 meters) according to studies
◦ Future storm surge projections has the
potential to greatly exceed any historical
surges
Key Findings in Mobile

Vulnerability assessment
◦ Exposure – Nature and degree of exposure
to climate variability and change
◦ Sensitivity – Degree to which a system is
affected by exposure
◦ Adaptive Capacity – Ability of a system to
respond successfully to climate variability and
change
Vulnerability Examples
Exposure
Sensitivity

Temp - Days above
95°F

Temp – Pavement
binder, traffic (roads)

24-hour precipitation


Storm surge height

Wind speed exceeds
threshold above which
impacts may occur
Precip – FEMA flood
zones, ponding,
impervious surface
area (all modes)

Storm surge – Height
& condition (bridges),
electric signing & soil
type (rail), access
(transit)

Wind – Building
Height, materials, roof
type; road sign or
signal density (road &
rail)

Inundated by sea level
rise
Adaptive Capacity

Speed to recover asset
– cost of improvement
(bridges), identified as
a priority in
emergency planning
(rail, air, transit)

Redundancy – detour
length (bridge, air),
number of
terminals/runways
(air), ability to reroute
(transit & rail), rail
yard interchange utility
(rail)

System disruption
duration (climate
variable-specific)
Vulnerability Overall Results
Sea level rise and storm surge are biggest
climate stressors for Mobile
transportation system
 Several assets are highly vulnerable to
multiple climate stressors

◦
◦
◦
◦
Alabama St. docks & other Mobile River ports
Wallace Tunnel
SR-193 near Theodore Industrial Canal
I-10 bridge across Mobile Bay
Engineering Assessments

Engineering Analyses
◦ 11-step adaptation approach

11 Engineering Case Studies
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Climate Stressor (Precip, Temp, SLR, Surge)
Asset Type (Culvert, Bridge, Pier, Roadway)
Damage Mechanism (Waves, Scour, Flood)
Asset Location (Site Location)
Vulnerability Score (NA, Low, Medium, High)
Engineering Assessments

Lessons Learned
◦ General Lessons:
 Consider all stressors that might act on an asset
 Consider all secondary impacts
 Think in terms of infrastructure systems
◦ Asset-specific lessons learned
ATNI Tribal Leaders on Climate
Change
March 10-11, 2015 in Portland, OR
 Theme: Asserting Native Resilience –
Protecting and Enhancing Tribal Resources
and Sovereignty in the face of Climate
Change
 Tribal Councils, Policy Leaders, Tribal Staff,
and Federal Agency Representatives were
Requested to Attend

Purpose of the Summit
ATNI Tribal Leaders to discuss Climate
Change Impacts
 Discuss Tribal Strategies, Plans, Policy on
Climate Change, Energy, and Carbon
Emissions
 Identify and Discuss Regional, National,
and International Policy on Climate
Change

Purpose of the Summit
Identify and Discuss Tribal Needs and
Present Funding Sources and
Opportunities
 Identify Issues and Strategies to Promote
and Protect Tribal Sovereignty and Tribal
Resources
 Discuss Interest in Developing a NW
Tribal Action Plan on Climate Change,
Energy, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Summit Highlights
Diverse range of attendees from EPA,
USDA, DOI-BIA, USGS,Various Tribes,
University of Washington, Northern
Arizona University, and many more
 Various Climate Change Presentations
 Several Guest Speakers
 Federal and Tribal Leadership Panels
 Roundtable Discussions

Summit Presentations
Climate Impacts Group Presentation
Summit Presentations
Climate Change Strategic Plan Presentation
Summit Panel
Federal Leadership Panel
Summit Speakers
BIA NW Regional Director Guest Speaker
Summit Speakers
Quinault President Guest Speaker
Questions??