Better Information Can Help the Environment.
by Henry McCann and Alvar Escriva-Bou This blog was originally posted on the Public Policy Institute’s Viewpoints blog.
Yet there are significant gaps in our understanding of key factors affecting ecosystem health that make it difficult to effectively manage water for the natural environment.
Good practices from other dry places offer lessons for protecting our struggling species and improving conditions in troubled ecosystems.
Other states have improved their water information systems and reduced environmental problems.
This makes active management of environmental water during droughts very difficult, if not impossible, in many parts of the state.
Better accounting can also help us prepare for drought, rather than just respond to it.
This inventory informs Victoria’s short- and long-term decision making about where and when water will be most beneficial to ecosystems and thus helps build drought resilience.
Examples from other arid regions suggest that this social process is improved by having access to accurate and timely information.
Before the next drought pushes more freshwater species to the brink, we would be wise to follow the lead of other semi-arid regions and invest in accounting systems that improve our understanding and management of our rivers and streams.

Increases in climate variability have placed new emphasis on the need for resilient wheat varieties.
Therefore, the identification of potential breeding targets to create climate-resilient, nutritionally improved wheat varieties is of particular interest.
Fructans are carbohydrates found in many plants, including wheat, which serve physiological roles in both plants and humans.
And fructan consumption by humans promotes improved health through modulation of gut health.
Fructan content of wheat grain varies by genotype, however, the utility of fructans as a breeding target to develop climate resilience, nutritious wheat varieties has not been examined.
A paper recently published in Crop Science examines connections between fructans in wheat plants, wheat-based food products, and impacts of fructan consumption on human health.
Implementation of breeding for increased wheat fructans will likely result in the development of climate-resilient varieties with increased nutritional value.
Story Source: Materials provided by American Society of Agronomy.
Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:

The value of natural infrastructure.
In order to avoid risk and damage, and to build resilience to these disasters, natural infrastructure solutions are increasingly being considered and implemented.
Rain gardens capture rainwater in a depression in the ground, and prevent flash floods and erosion in streams by slowing down storm water.
NI solutions include constructed wetlands that are used for industrial processed water and waste-water treatment, substituting traditional waste-water treatment infrastructure.
Natural infrastructures offer numerous benefits to society.
Natural infrastructure can help avoid water pollution that would otherwise need to pass through a conventional water treatment plant, thus reducing costs.
Many cities have a water fund focused on NI solutions that has resulted in significant savings every year by reducing water treatment costs.
NI solutions often require less initial capital investment and reduced operations and maintenance costs.
These collaborations will be necessary to create synergetic approaches, reporting mechanisms and tools that are compatible for assessing progress toward sustainable development across all sectors and regions.
There is a need to strength informational cooperation between cities or countries across both the developed and developing worlds.

State Water Board adopts climate change resolution.
From the State Water Resources Control Board: Today the State Water Resources Control Board adopted a resolution requiring a proactive approach to climate change in all Board actions, including drinking water regulation, water quality protection, and financial assistance.
We can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect our infrastructure and our ecosystems,” said Spivy-Weber.
Since that time, the Brown administration developed the California Water Action Plan, a blueprint for achieving more sustainable water management by improving water supply reliability, restoring important wildlife and habitat, and making the state’s water systems and environment more resilient.
Since 2007, the State and Regional Water Boards have taken a variety of actions to respond to climate change impacts.
The resolution also requires State Water Board staff to use current models and data to inform Board actions.
To increase regulatory consistency, the resolution also requires staff to use climate change policy guidance from other agencies.
Additional Climate Change and Drought Resources For more information on the state’s effort to combat and adapt to climate change, visit the climate change portal here.
To follow the state and regional water board efforts on this, visit the climate change page here.
Sign up for daily emails and get all the Notebook’s aggregated and original water news content delivered to your email box by 9AM.