21 Multi-Benefit Resources

Wellspring: Source Water Resilience and Climate Adaptation

Author: The Nature Conservancy (2019)
Geography: Global
Level of Detail: Case study, Qualitative description

Water Management Strategies: Centralized Stormwater Infrastructure, Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Environmental Remediation, Flood Control, Groundwater Management, Land Management, Surface Water Storage

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Agricultural, Community resilience, Energy, Energy production, Extreme events, Habitat and biodiversity, Health and safety, In stream flows, Land and environment, People and Community, Risk and Resilience, System resilience, Water supply reliability

Wellspring: Source Water Resilience and Climate Adaptation contributes to the evolving discussions connected to source water protection, risk, resilience, and climate change. This report provides a thorough description of literature, tools, and case examples of resilient management of source waters.

Climate Risk Informed Decision Analysis (CRIDA), Collaborative Water Resources Planning for an Uncertain Future

Author: UNESCO and International Center for Integrated Water Resources Management (ICIWaRM) (2018)
Geography: Global
Level of Detail: Decision support tool

Water Management Strategies: Centralized Stormwater Infrastructure, Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Flood Control, Land Management

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Extreme events, Regulatory compliance, Reputation, Risk and Resilience, System resilience, Water supply reliability

Climate Risk Informed Decision Analysis (CRIDA) is a methodology for water resources planning and management when significant uncertainty exists about future conditions. This guidance document adds to the existing water resources management planning literature by providing a coherent and consistent approach for dealing with anticipated but unquantified changes due to “unknown unknowns” such as climate change that impact project planning, socioeconomic justification, resource management, and engineering design.

Healthy Lands and Healthy Economies: The multiple benefits of Sonoma County working and natural lands

Author: Sonoma County Ag + Open Space (2018)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Economic valuation, Quantitative benefits

Water Management Strategies: Agricultural land management, Land Management, Recharge area protection, Reforestation and forest conservation, Stream restoration, Wetland protection

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Air quality, Carbon sequestration, Extreme events, Flooding, Habitat and biodiversity, Land and environment, Local economy, Peak flood volume, People and Community, Recreation, Soil health, System resilience, Total flood volume, Water quality, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

Sonoma County Ag + Open Space presents the results of a thorough economic assessment of the county’s agricultural and natural lands, incorporating the multiple benefits of these landscapes.

Modelling Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Large Wood Recruitment, Transport, and Deposition at the River Reach Scale during Extreme Floods

Author: (2018)
Geography: Outside U.S.
Level of Detail: Quantitative benefits

Water Management Strategies: Environmental Remediation, Floodplain connectivity and rehabilitation

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Extreme events, Flooding, Land and environment, Risk and Resilience

Modelling Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Large Wood Recruitment, Transport, and Deposition at the River Reach Scale during Extreme Floods presents a modelling exercise to evaluate the dynamics of large woody debris during flooding events. This technical assessment can provide decision makers with another method for evaluating the tradeoffs between flood risks and riparian health from large woody debris in stream systems.

Climate information? Embedding climate futures within temporalities of California water management

Author: (2018)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Qualitative description

Water Management Strategies: N/A

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Extreme events, Risk and Resilience, System resilience, Water supply reliability

Climate information? Embedding climate futures within temporalities of California water management analyzes the use of climate change information in water resources management decisions in California. The information was obtained by conducting interviews (n=61) with drinking water utility managers in California, analyzing three different methodologies for incorporation of climate change information: 1) modeled futures, 2) whose future?, and 3) truncated futures. The interviews revealed that ‘modeled futures’ most closely aligned with supply-demand projections in widely-accepted literature.

Firewater Storage, Treatment, Recycling and Management: New Perspectives Based on Experiences from the United Kingdom

Author: (2014)
Geography: Global
Level of Detail: Qualitative description

Water Management Strategies: Commercial or industrial reuse, Industrial treatment, Wastewater Treatment, Water Reuse

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Demand reduction, Extreme events, Health and safety, Land and environment, People and Community, Risk and Resilience, Water quality, Water Supply

Firewater Storage, Treatment, Recycling and Management: New Perspectives Based on Experiences from the United Kingdom is a literature review examining firewater management and recycling best practices in the United Kingdom. The literature review revealed that limited research is available on this subject and that development of decision support tools are needed to evaluate consumption rates, capacity, water quality, and pump requirements. A particular article suggested the need for further research into on-site treatment methods, such as mobile and compact filtration units.

Climatic consequences of adopting drought-tolerant vegetation over Los Angeles as a response to California drought

Author: (2016)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Case study, Quantitative benefits

Water Management Strategies: Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Low impact landscaping, Urban outdoor efficiency, Water conservation and efficiency

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Demand reduction, Extreme events, Health and safety, People and Community, Risk and Resilience, Urban heat island, Water Supply

Climatic consequences of adopting drought tolerant vegetation over Los Angeles as a response to California drought utilized a regional climate model to analyze the impacts of drought-tolerant vegetation in Los Angeles. The results revealed that drought-tolerant vegetation contributed to a daytime warming of 1.9 degrees Celsius, largely due to decreases in irrigation, and a nighttime cooling of 3.2 degrees Celsius, due to differences in soil thermodynamics and heat exchange. The report concludes that the greater magnitude of the nighttime cooling could counterbalance the warming effects during the day.

City Resilience Framework

Author: The Rockefeller Foundation, Arup International Development (2015)
Geography: Global
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Qualitative description

Water Management Strategies: Centralized Stormwater Infrastructure, Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Flood Control, Wastewater Treatment

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Affordability, Community resilience, Educational opportunity, Energy, Extreme events, Flooding, Habitat and biodiversity, Health and safety, Land and environment, Local economy, People and Community, Reputation, Risk and Resilience, System resilience, Water quality, Water Supply

City Resilience Framework provides a framework for analyzing the sustainability of a city. The framework identifies seven qualities of resilient cities (reflective, robust, redundant, flexible, resourceful, inclusive, and integrated) as well as four dimensions of resilient cities: health & wellbeing; economy & society; infrastructure & environment; and leadership & strategy. The report applies the City Resilience Framework to six cities across the globe, where the resiliency of each city was qualitatively analyzed following the four resiliency dimensions.

Recognizing the Value of Energy Efficiency’s Multiple Benefits

Author: (2015)
Geography: U.S.
Level of Detail: Economic valuation

Water Management Strategies: Delivery system efficiency, Urban indoor efficiency, Water conservation and efficiency

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Affordability, Air quality, Demand reduction, End use energy, Energy, Energy for wastewater, Energy for water extraction, Energy for water treatment, Extreme events, Health and safety, Land and environment, People and Community, Risk and Resilience, System resilience, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

Recognizing the Value of Energy Efficiency’s Multiple Benefits emphasizes the multiple benefits of improved energy efficiency for the residential, business, and utility sectors. The multiple benefits identified within this report include comfort, health, financial, and risk-abatement. The report argues that these multiple benefits can exceed utility bill savings, and therefore should be included into management decisions, policy decisions, and efficiency programs.

Green Infrastructure Guide for Water Management

Author: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UNEP-DHI Partnership, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), The Nature Conservancy, World Resources Institute (2014)
Geography: U.S.
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Economic valuation

Water Management Strategies: Centralized Stormwater Infrastructure, Constructed stormwater wetlands, Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Flood Control, Floodplain connectivity and rehabilitation, Infiltration or filtration, Land Management, Living shorelines, Low impact landscaping, Reforestation and forest conservation, Riparian buffers, Runoff conveyance, Runoff storage, Wetland protection and restoration

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Air quality, Ambient water quality, Carbon sequestration, Extreme events, Flooding, Habitat and biodiversity, Local economy, Recreation, Risk and Resilience, Supply augmentation, Urban heat island, Water quality, Water Supply

Green Infrastructure: Guide for Water Management examines case studies of green infrastructure projects throughout the United States. The report argues that a lack of awareness of the solutions and additional cost benefits that green infrastructure projects can provide is the major barrier to implementation of green infrastructure solutions. The case studies include green infrastructure projects such as green roofs, permeable pavement, levee setbacks, wetland conservation and construction, reforestation and afforestation, and flood bypasses and coastal protection. The case studies cite benefits from the ecosystem service categories (i.e., provisioning services, regulating services, cultural services, habitat or supporting services), providing a qualitative discussion of primary benefits and co-benefits for each case study.

Barriers and Gateways to Green Infrastructure

Author: Clean Water America Alliance (2011)
Geography: U.S.
Level of Detail: Qualitative description

Water Management Strategies: Conservation design, Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Infiltration or filtration, Low impact landscaping, Runoff conveyance, Runoff storage

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Air quality, Carbon sequestration, End use energy, Energy, Extreme events, Flooding, Habitat and biodiversity, Health and safety, Land and environment, Local economy, Peak flood volume, People and Community, Recreation, Risk and Resilience, System resilience, Total flood volume, Urban heat island

Barriers and Gateways to Green Infrastructure identifies and explores the major barriers to implementation of green infrastructure for stormwater management. The barriers were identified through a survey of various stakeholder groups from across the United States, and included the following themes: technical and physical barriers, legal and regulatory barriers, financial barriers, and community and institutional barriers. The report also provides several recommendations to the U.S. EPA for overcoming these barriers, including creation of new stormwater regulations and permits, full accounting for economic and environmental benefits, embracing of new stormwater approaches, and increased federal funding for green infrastructure.

The Value of Green Infrastructure for Urban Climate Adaptation

Author: Center for Clean Air Policy (2011)
Geography: Global
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Economic valuation

Water Management Strategies: Conservation design, Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Infiltration or filtration, Low impact landscaping, Runoff conveyance, Runoff storage

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Ambient water quality, Community resilience, Demand reduction, End use energy, Energy, Extreme events, Flooding, Peak flood volume, People and Community, Risk and Resilience, System resilience, Total flood volume, Water quality, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

The Value of Green Infrastructure for Urban Climate Adaptation provides a methodology for calculating the costs and benefits of green infrastructure, with particular focus on urban climate adaptation. Benefits of green infrastructure include land value, quality of life, public health, hazard mitigation, and regulatory compliance. In the report, economic analyses are provided for “Eco-Roofs,” Green Alleys and Streets, and Urban Forestry with several case study examples provided.

Desalination, with a Grain of Salt: A California Perspective

Author: Pacific Institute (2006)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Qualitative description

Water Management Strategies: Desalination, Seawater

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Drinking water quality, Extreme events, Risk and Resilience, System resilience, Water quality, Water supply reliability

Desalination, with a Grain of Salt: A California Perspective presents an overview of the benefits and risks of ocean desalination, with a focus on the economic, cultural, and environmental benefits and costs. The benefits cited within this report include water quality, water supply diversity and reliability, energy intensity, and environmental impacts. The report concludes that the economic costs are high and other options may be available, including treating low-quality local water sources, encouraging regional water transfers, improving conservation and efficiency, accelerating wastewater recycling and reuse, and implementing smart land-use planning.

California Water Plan, Update 2009, Volume 2: Resource Management Strategies

Author: California Department of Water Resources (2009)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Qualitative description

Water Management Strategies: Agricultural efficiency, Agricultural land management, Brackish desalination, Centralized Stormwater Infrastructure, Centralized wastewater treatment, Delivery system efficiency, Desalination, Direct potable reuse, Drywells, Flood Control, Groundwater extraction, Groundwater Management, Groundwater recharge, Groundwater storage, Indirect potable reuse, Land Management, Recharge area protection, Reforestation and forest conservation, Riparian buffers, Seawater desalination, Spreading basins, Storm drains and pipes, Stream protection and restoration, Surface Water Storage, Urban indoor efficiency, Urban outdoor efficiency, Wastewater Treatment, Water conservation and efficiency, Water Reuse, Water Transfer, Wetland protection and restoration

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Demand reduction, Extreme events, Flooding, Habitat and biodiversity, Land and environment, People and Community, Recreation, Risk and Resilience, Supply augmentation, System resilience, Water quality, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

The California Water Plan presents a guide on water management strategies that can provide multiple benefits both regionally and statewide in California. The management strategies are organized by goals, such as reducing water demand, improving operational efficiency, or improving water quality, and the benefits are categorized under water supply, drought preparedness, water quality, operational flexibility, flood impacts, environmental benefits, energy benefits, recreation, and groundwater overdraft risk. The report also includes guidance on the quantitative analysis of multiple benefits for policymakers and water resource managers.

Water Storage Investment Program Technical Reference

Author: California Water Commission (2016)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Economic valuation

Water Management Strategies: Centralized Stormwater Infrastructure, Drywells, Flood Control, Groundwater extraction, Groundwater Management, Groundwater recharge, Groundwater storage, Infiltration basins, Spreading basins, Surface Water Storage

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Ambient water quality, Demand reduction, Drinking water quality, Energy production, Extreme events, Flooding, Habitat and biodiversity, In stream flows, Land and environment, Local economy, Peak flood volume, People and Community, Recreation, Regulatory compliance, Risk and Resilience, Supply augmentation, System resilience, Total flood volume, Water quality, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

Water Storage Investment Program Technical Reference details the methodology for quantifying the co-benefits or adverse impacts of water storage projects under California’s Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP). The report outlines methods for quantification of various co-benefits and adverse impacts, providing guidance on defining future site conditions, calculating physical changes, monetizing project benefits and costs, comparing benefits and costs, properly allocating costs to beneficiaries, determining cost-effectiveness and public-benefit ratio, and evaluating sources of uncertainty. Projects that quantify public benefits following these methodologies are eligible for California state bond funding to pay for the public benefits.

Beyond the Source: The environmental, economic and community benefits of source water protection

Author: The Nature Conservancy (2017)
Geography: Global
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Quantitative benefits

Water Management Strategies: Agricultural land management, Centralized Stormwater Infrastructure, Constructed stormwater wetlands, Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Flood Control, Land Management, Reforestation and forest conservation, Riparian buffers, Wetland protection

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Agriculture, Air quality, Ambient water quality, Carbon sequestration, Community resilience, Extreme events, Habitat and biodiversity, Health and safety, Land and environment, People and Community, Resource recovery, Risk and Resilience, Soil health, System resilience, Water quality, Water supply reliability

Beyond the Source is an in-depth, global study conducted by the Nature Conservancy on source water protection projects. In the report these projects are described as “nature-based solutions” that can improve water quality and quantity. Projects include targeted land protection, revegetation, riparian restoration, agricultural best management practices, ranching best management practices, fire risk management, wetland restoration and creation, and road management. The report provides a qualitative framework as well as quantitative guidance for calculating the multiple benefits.

Berkeley Resilience Strategy

Author: City of Berkeley, 100 Resilient Cities, AECOM (2016)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Case study, Qualitative description

Water Management Strategies: Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Water conservation and efficiency, Water Reuse

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Demand reduction, Extreme events, Flooding, Habitat and biodiversity, Land and environment, People and Community, Risk and Resilience, Supply augmentation, System resilience, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

100 Resilient Cities is an organization working across the globe to help plan for more resilient and successful cities. The Resilience Framework guides users towards projects that provide overall system and infrastructure resilience, often including water systems and infrastructure. The report includes a case study on Berkeley, California’s goal of adapting to climate change through green infrastructure, diversifying their water supply, and sustainable landscapes. The Resilience Framework yields a qualitative measure of ‘city resilience’, defined as “the ability of the individuals, institutions, businesses, and systems within the community to survive, adapt, and grow no matter what chronic stress or acute shock it experiences.”

Banking on Green: A Look at How Green Infrastructure Can Save Municipalities Money and Provide Economic Benefits Community-wide

Author: American Rivers, the Water Environment Federation, the American Society of Landscape Architects, ECONorthwest (2012)
Geography: U.S.
Level of Detail: Qualitative description

Water Management Strategies: Conservation design, Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Infiltration or filtration, Low impact landscaping, Runoff conveyance, Runoff storage

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Air quality, Demand reduction, Energy, Energy for wastewater, Extreme events, Flooding, Health and safety, Land and environment, Local economy, Peak flood volume, People and Community, Recreation, Risk and Resilience, System resilience, Urban heat island, Water quality, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

Banking on Green provides a business case for green infrastructure practices in the United States. Benefits cited within the report include reduced stormwater runoff, reduced energy costs, reduced impacts of flooding, improvements in public health, and reduced infrastructure costs. Within the report, it is argued that green infrastructure can blend seamlessly with traditional grey infrastructure, and make communities more resilient in the face of extreme events and climate change. The report provides case studies of successful green infrastructure projects across the United States, and a qualitative discussion on the multiple benefits.

Description and Screening of Potential Tools and Methods to Quantify Public Benefits of Water Storage Projects (Draft Report)

Author: California Department of Water Resources (2012)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Decision support tool

Water Management Strategies: Surface Water Storage

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Extreme events, Flooding, Habitat and biodiversity, Land and environment, People and Community, Recreation, Risk and Resilience, System resilience, Water quality

Description and Screening of Potential Tools and Methods to Quantify Public Benefits of Water Storage Projects provides guidance on economic methods and models used to quantify the public benefits of water storage projects. The public benefit categories are defined as ecosystem improvements, water quality improvements, flood control benefits, emergency response, and recreational purposes. The report provides guidance on a suite of economic valuation methods including avoided cost or avoided damage, alternative cost, market prices, hedonic pricing and land value, survey-based, and benefit transfer methods.

Adapting to Change: Utility Systems and Declining Flows

Author: California Urban Water Agencies (2017)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Qualitative description

Water Management Strategies: Centralized Stormwater Infrastructure, Centralized wastewater treatment, Direct potable reuse, Flood Control, Groundwater Management, Groundwater recharge, On site non potable reuse, Storm drains and pipes, Urban and industrial non potable reuse, Urban indoor efficiency, Urban outdoor efficiency, Wastewater Treatment, Water conservation and efficiency, Water Reuse

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Ambient water quality, Demand reduction, Drinking water quality, Energy, Energy for wastewater, Extreme events, In stream flows, Land and environment, Regulatory compliance, Resource recovery, Risk and Resilience, System resilience, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

Adapting to Change: Utility Systems and Declining Flows explores the consequences of reduced indoor flows related to conservation on urban water supply systems in California. The report illustrates that demand management through water use efficiency can have many co-benefits including improved drought resilience, improved in-stream flows, reduced or deferred cost of infrastructure, and reduced energy costs; declining flows, however, can negatively impact water distribution, conveyance, wastewater treatment, and recycled water policy. Specific examples and details are presented within the report, including survey and interview data.

Central Valley Flood Protection Plan 2017 Update

Author: California Department of Water Resources (2017)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Qualitative description

Water Management Strategies: Land Management

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Agriculture, Air quality, Ambient water quality, Carbon sequestration, Community resilience, Extreme events, Flooding, Habitat and biodiversity, Health and safety, Land and environment, People and Community, Resource recovery, Risk and Resilience, Soil health, System resilience, Water quality, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

The Central Valley Flood Protection Plan asserts that institutional frameworks hinder implementation of multi-benefit actions and outlines a framework to facilitate design and construction of multi-benefit projects. The report organizes Design Within Reach (DWR) Flood Management programs with the flood management policy issues they address, as well as discusses multi-benefit improvements for ecosystem vitality for specific projects. It includes a qualitative discussion of multi-benefit projects, defining them as projects designed to reduce flood risk and enhance fish and wildlife habitat, as well as create additional public benefits such as sustaining agricultural production, improving water quality and water supply reliability, increasing groundwater recharge, supporting commercial fisheries, and providing public recreation and educational opportunities, or any combination thereof.