ThreatsofClimateChangeonWaterandSanitationfromanInternationalSurveyintheArctic
Jonathan M. Bressler,MPH1,2
1 SectionofEpidemiology,DivisionofPublicHealth,AlaskaDepartmentofHealthandSocialServices,Anchorage,AK,USA2AppliedEpidemiologyFellow,CouncilofStateandTerritorialEpidemiologists,Atlanta,GA,USA
Mediatingfactors
• Populationgrowth• Higherdemandonoutdatedwater&sanitationinfrastructure.
• Meltingseaiceopenstransportationroutes• Previouslyisolatedcommunitiesmaygainaccesstoimportsandnewtechnologies.
• Investment,innovation,andcollaborationincopingwithclimatechange-relatedthreats
• Three-partsurvey:• Accesstowaterandsanitationservices• Water- andsanitation-relateddiseasesurveillance• Effects ofclimatechangeonwaterandsanitationaccess
• Distributedtoprofessionals inhealth,waterandsanitation;governmentauthorities;andresidentsintheArcticnations.• Emaillists,directcontacts,andapreviouslypublishedarticle.1
• ResponsescollectedAprilthroughSeptember2016.
• Detailsandadditional informationsolicitedfromknownandrecommendedexpertsandWIHAHpresenters.
1HennessyTW,BresslerJM.ImprovinghealthintheArcticregionthroughsafeandaffordableaccesstohouseholdrunningwaterandsewerservices:anArcticCouncilinitiative.Int JCircumpolarHealth.2016Apr29;75:31149.
SurveyMethods
SurveyMethods
• Respondentsprovided:• Organization• Affiliation• Location
• Countriessurveyed:• Canada• Greenland• Finland• Iceland• Norway• Russia• Sweden• US(Alaska)
NumberofresponsesCanada:Nunavut Finland Greenland Iceland Norway Sweden
U.S.:Alaska
TOTALRESPONDENTS 3 1 1 1 1 2 13
Decreaseinso
urcewater
quantity?
Decreaseingroundwatersupply. 1 4Lossordecreaseoftundrapondwaterorothersurfacewater.
2 7
Changeinthecourseofariverthatreducedaccesstowater.
1 4
Otherdecreaseinquantityorvolumenotdescribedhere.
2 1 1
Nodecreaseobserved 1 1 1Donotknow 1 1 1 1 4
Decreaseinso
urcewaterquality?
Increasedsaltcontent,dissolvedsolids,orothercontaminantsingroundwater.
1 3
Floodingofcoastalareasbystorms,causingcontaminationofsurfacewaterwithseawater.
4
Increasedsaltandbromidecontentinriverintakesduetosea-levelrise.
1
Excessivealgal,bacterial,fungal,insect,orotherbiologicalgrowthinsourcewater.
3
Otherdecreaseinqualitynotdescribedhere. 1 1 2Nodecreaseobserved 1 1 1Donotknow 1 1 1 4
Climatechange-relatedthreatstowaterandsanitationaccessintheArctic,asreportedbysurveyrespondents,2016
NumberofresponsesCanada:Nunavut Finland Greenland Iceland Norway Sweden
U.S.:Alaska
TOTALRESPONDENTS 3 1 1 1 1 2 13
Damagetowateran
dsanitatio
ninfrastructure?
Damagetoinfrastructureduetohighoverlandwaterflow(runoff)afterintensestorms.
1 1 3
Damagetoinfrastructurefromriverbankerosionafterintenserainstorms.
1 1 1 3
Damagetostructurefoundedonfrozensoilduetothawingpermafrost.
3 1 4
Otherdamagetowaterinfrastructureduetoevent(s)notdescribedhere.
1 1 1
NodamageoccurredDonotknow 1 1 6
Climate-causedmaintenance?
Useofdirty,contaminated,orunsafewaterduetohighcostofrepairingorreplacingdamagedstructuresorcontaminatedwatersources.
1 1 2
Increaseincostofoperationsandmaintenance.
2 1 1 6
Otheroperationsormaintenanceissue(s)causedbyclimatechangenotdescribedhere.
1 1 3
Noclimate-relatedissues/DonotknowDonotknow 1 1 6
Climatechange-relatedthreatstowaterandsanitationaccessintheArctic,asreportedbysurveyrespondents,2016(continued)
NumberofresponsesCanada:Nunavut Finland Greenland Iceland Norway Sweden
U.S.:Alaska
TOTALRESPONDENTS 3 1 1 1 1 2 13
Watertreatm
entaffe
cted?
Riseinbromideconcentrationrequiringtreatmentofwatersource.
1
Moredifficulttoappropriatelytreatwaterafterincreaseinturbidity,pathogens,ornaturalcontaminantsinthewater.
2 4
Morefrequentorseverealgalbloomsaffectingwatertreatment.Othertreatmentissue(s)notdescribedhere. 1 1 3Treatmentnotaffected 2Donotknow 1 1 1 7
Climatechange
affected
planning?
Yes 2 1 1 2 6
No 2
Donotknow 1 1 1 5
Climatechange-relatedthreatstowaterandsanitationaccessintheArctic,asreportedbysurveyrespondents,2016(continued)
Surveyresponses:DecreasesinsourcewaterquantityCANADA- Nunavut• “Somecommunities' principalwatersourceisfedbyrecedingglaciersand/orsnowpacks.Lessmelthasbeenwitnessed inseveralcommunitiesoverthelastdecade.”
ALASKA– NorthSlopeBorough• “Decreaseingroundwateraquifersandmaintundrapondwatersource.”
ALASKA– Gakona• “Drysummersandwarmwintershavecausedalossofgroundmoistureandwaterinbogandpondareas.”
ALASKA– Kotzebue• “Thelackofsnowandrain,andtheincreasedheathavebeendiminishingourwatersupply.”
Surveyresponses:DecreasesinsourcewaterqualityCANADA– Nunavut• “Stormsurgesarecausingsaltwaterintrusionsnearriverintakes.Intakepipesneedtobemovedupstreamtoavoiddrawingbrackishwatersintothepumpingstations.”
NORWAY• “Thecolorofwaterinriverandlakeshavegraduallychangedovertime.”
ALASKA- NorthwestArcticBorough• “Streambankerosionandpermafrostthawing(i.e.sloughing)decreaseswaterqualityviaturbidity.”
Surveyresponses:DamagetoinfrastructureCANADA– Nunavut• “Leaksinreservoirsduetoberminstability(thawing).”ICELAND• “Damagetowaterinfrastructurehasoccurredcausedbyvolcaniceruptionsorearthquakes.”
FINLAND• “Damsafetyincidentsduetopowercutsduringintense storms,landcollapse,risingwaterlevel.”
ALASKA– Kotzebue• “Morefrequentandintensestormsalongwithwarmweather.”ALASKA– Shishmaref• “Thecommunityhasbeensufferingfromerosionandfloodingofthecoastlinewhichputsthefacilities(likethesewagelagoon)inavulnerableposition.”
Surveyresponses:WatertreatmenteffectsNORWAY• “Stormwaterinfiltrationofthesewageplantreducestheeffectivenessoftreatment.”
SWEDEN• “Morefrequentfloodinginthepasttenyearsthoughithasnotyetaffectedthewaterwells.“
ALASKA– Kotzebue• “My13stagewaterfilternowclogswithdebrisin1/4ofthetime itordinarilywouldhave.”
ALASKA– NorthwestArcticBorough• “Increasedorganicloadsintosourcewater,whichwhencombinedwithchlorineasadisinfectant,causesdisinfectionby-products.Manyofourwatersystemslacksufficienttreatmenttoremovetheseby-products.”
• ALASKA– ANTHCassessment reports
Surveyresponses:Infrastructuredamage,maintenance,andtreatment(continued)
• Selawik:Unevengroundsettlingfollowingpermafrostmeltcausingdamagetopiping.
• PointHope:Increaseinamountofbiologicslimerequiringdrasticincreaseinfrequencyoffilterchanges.
Surveyresponses:PlanningofinfrastructureCANADA– Nunavut• “Reservoirsarenowbeinglinedsincerelyingsolelyonimpermeability frompermafrostisnolongeranoption.”
GREENLAND• “IncooperationwithNukissiorfiit (thenationalelectricity andwatersupplycompany)weplanalargerresearchprojectinsummer2017todevelopsolutionsforQaanaaq.”
NORWAY• “Changeindesignofsystemstodealwithstormwaterandsewagewillbetopicsinthecomingyears.”
SWEDEN– Älvsbyn• “Duetorepeatedfloodingandexpected increasingrain/snow,theriskforcontaminationofwaterisexpectedtoincrease.Themunicipalityhasinstalledchemicalandultraviolettreatmentinthewatertreatmentplantandbuiltprotectingwallstopreventcontaminationofthegroundwaterwellsfromfloodingriverwater.”
Surveyresponses:Planningofinfrastructure(cont.)ALASKA– PointLay• “Thawingpermafrosthascausedourdirectburydistribution&collectionsystemtofail.Homesarebeingputontankstocontinueserviceuntilanabovegroundsystemcanbebuilt.”
ALASKA– NorthwestArcticBorough• “FederalandStatefundingagenciesarehesitanttofundnewwaterandsanitationprojectsincommunities thatare"highlythreatened"andatriskofrelocation.”
• “Shiftofengineeringeffortstoservehomeswithdecentralizedin-homesystemsratherthanstandardcommunity/centralizedsystemssohomesandsystemsmaybeportablewithrelocation.”
• “Flexiblearcticserviceconnectiondesignsarebeingusedtominimizeservicelinedamagewhenhousesshiftduetofreeze/thawcyclesandpermafrostmelting.”
• “Atleastonewatertreatmentplantprojecthasbeencompletelystalledbecausetheprojectfundedamountwasinsufficient.Thiscommunitycontinuestositwithinadequatelytreateddrinkingwater.”
• UndertheACSustainableDevelopmentWorkingGroup,createaregularforumforArcticnationsandcommunitiestoshareinnovationsinwaterandsanitationtechnology,costmanagementmethods,andclimatechangeadaptationstrategies.
• Workshopobjectives:• Designaplanforan“asset inventory”ofat-riskwaterandsanitation infrastructure.
• Assesscommunity-basedmonitoringandresponsestrategiesinvolvinghealthandwater-relatedresources/infrastructurefailure.
• ProvideanupdateontheknowledgesharedattheWaterInnovationsforHealthyArcticHomes(WIHAH)Conference.
Recommendations&WorkshopObjectives