Hydrology.nl

The difficulty of determining future hydrological conditions based on past records of climate and hydrologic regimes has been the “death of stationarity”, which refers to the assumption that future climate conditions have “predictable uncertainty”; that is, the frequency and severity of flood or drought events can be accurately estimated, allowing water managers (and economists) to manage risk. Climate change undermines this assumption by suggesting that the future holds unpredictable uncertainty. The water resource management community has not yet developed an alternative vision capable of embracing this new reality.

Is water infrastructure the emerging battleground for climate change adaptation? Ecologists, engineers, and economists have long talked past each other, but climate change presents similar threats to both groups. Water may serve as the best means of finding a common cause and building a new vision of ecological and economic sustainability, especially in the developing world.

A new article in PLoS Biology, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal that features works of exceptional significance in all areas of biological science, from molecules to ecosystems, including works at the interface with other disciplines.

Converging Currents in Climate-Relevant Conservation: Water, Infrastructure, and Institutions