Securing Water Supplies During Drought in San Diego
Abstract
Droughts occur when there is not enough rainfall throughout an extended period of time, ranging from weeks to years. As the climate changes and temperatures increase, more frequent and intense droughts can occur in parts of the world that experience drier land and weather conditions. Overall, long periods of increased temperatures and lack of rainfall create water supply challenges, which contribute to drought. This proposal outlines some possible solutions for securing water supplies under conditions of drought in the city of San Diego, California. With San Diego already being an abnormally dry city, it will be challenging for future generations to secure sufficient water if water is consistently overused, and recognizing that changing weather patterns due to climate change create unpredictability in future natural water sources. To accomplish the goal of securing water supplies in a drought; we propose augmenting water recycling, as well as implementing greywater systems for irrigating residential and large commercial greenspaces, and expanding desalination to replenish freshwater reservoirs. Mechanisms for funding the proposed solutions are resident and business taxes, grants from the state of California, as well as partnering with programs that are able to fund and develop sustainable groundwater planning. Our goal to secure water supply under drought conditions relates to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: ensuring access to water and sanitation for all. During drought conditions, access to the basic need for water, especially in vulnerable populations, is inhibited. Additionally, the increasing demand for water caused by rapid population growth, urbanization, agriculture, industry, and energy sectors makes it more important to secure reliable water sources. Knowing that climate change has numerous effects on the ability to secure sustainable water sources, our implementations allow future sustainable societies to be built with efficient and resourceful water use.
