Climate change in Houston

Report proposes strategies

Jay Blazek Crossley, Feb 18, 09.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) has released a report, “Foresight Panel on Environmental Effects,” that makes a quick assessment of the possible effects of climate change on the Houston region and then presents a series of measures H-GAC should undertake to prepare for disasters and mitigate the negative effects of climate change. The report, prepared by a local panel of academics from a variety of institutions, contains short-term fixes and long-term paradigm changes for planning in the region.

The panel identified six Regional Adaptation Goals:

1. Protect human health
2. Protect property
3. Protect natural environment
4. Increase efficiency of operations
5. Reduce need for vehicular transportation
6. Reduce urban heat island effect

The panel’s analysis of the threats and possible solutions yields the following list of recommendations:

1. Use historical climate record and credible climate change projections in planning.
2. Enhance coordination of evacuation plans and communication systems.
3. Review and strengthen mutual aid agreements to improve intergovernmental coordination and cooperation.
4. Adopt and implement water conservation plans to prepare for prolonged periods without rain and higher temperatures.
5. Utilize tree plantings and green roofs for shading, energy conservation and stormwater detention.
6. Develop heat wave management plans to prepare for increased temperatures.
7. Use alternative paving products that require less maintenance when exposed to higher temperatures and that reduce heat island effect.
8. Enhance shoreline erosion management, including reinforcement of existing levees and sea walls.
9. Prepare for increase in wildfires due to prolonged periods without rain and higher temperatures.
10. Prepare for increased illnesses from water‐, food‐ and vector‐borne sources.
11. Implement stricter emission controls to reduce number of days in which air qualitprotect those susceptible to respiratory illnesses exacerbated by poor air quality.
12. Advocate hurricane resistant building standards as the minimum building code standard for new construction in high risk areas.
13. Avoid new development in areas particularly vulnerable to flooding.
14. Avoid construction in areas subject to sea level rise.
15. Preserve wetland and riparian zones, which provide natural flood protection and improved water quality processes.
16. Implement regional wastewater treatment to distribute the costs of building, maintaining and repairing a larger, more centralized facility among a larger tax base.
17. Implement gray water reuse to conserve water, to reduce demand on municipal water systems during prolonged periods without rain and higher temperatures and to improve maintenance and operating costs.
18. Employ green building standards to reduce operating and maintenance costs and to reduce demand on natural resources.
19. Build compact communities to become more resilient after extreme weather events.
20. Build “livable centers” to alleviate traffic congestion and to become more resilient after extreme events.
21. Consider appropriateness of different modes of transportation for the future, given increased costs to maintain and operate.
22. Consider a longer term view of infrastructure needs than as planned today to take into account increased maintenance, construction and rehabilitation costs in the next 50‐100 years.
23. Create financial mechanisms to aid Councils of Government (“COGs”) with administering funds and setting regional climate change priorities.
24. Collaborate with COGs to develop and influence legislation needed to enable local governments to better adapt to climate change.
25. Collaborate with H‐GAC and other local governments for climate change adaptation planning.