16 Multi-Benefit Resources

Measuring the success of climate change adaptation and mitigation in terrestrial ecosystems

Author: Morecroft et al., American Association for the Advancement of Science (2019)
Geography: Global
Level of Detail: Quantitative benefits

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Land Management

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: GHG emissions, Land and environment

Measuring the success of climate change adaptation and mitigation in terrestrial ecosystems examines how restoration can impact carbon sequestration and improve ecosystem resilience. This review paper examined 70 different studies and identifies synergies between restoration, climate, and people as an important step to ensure restoration effectiveness.

Portland’s Green Infrastructure: Quantifying the Health, Energy, and Community Livability Benefits

Author: City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (2010)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Quantitative benefits

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Low impact landscaping, Runoff conveyance

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Air quality, Energy, Energy for wastewater, GHG emissions, Health and safety, Land and environment, People and Community, Recreation

Portland’s Green Infrastructure: Quantifying the Health, Energy, and Community Livability Benefits quantifies the benefits of green infrastructure (GI) initiatives. Using available research and data, the city quantified benefits in energy and described benefits to community livability and health. This report breaks down the benefits by different GI types to show how projects impact each benefit category.

Nature-Based Solutions Evidence Tool

Author: University of Oxford (2019)
Geography: Global
Level of Detail: Economic valuation, Quantitative benefits

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Agricultural flooding, Agricultural land management, Conservation design, Floodplain connectivity and rehabilitation, Forest thinning, Infiltration or filtration, Land Management, Living shorelines, Low impact landscaping, Recharge area protection, Reforestation and forest conservation, Riparian buffers, Runoff conveyance, Runoff storage, Stream protection and restoration, Wetland protection and restoration

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Agricultural, Air quality, Ambient water quality, Carbon sequestration, Community resilience, Extreme events, Flooding, GHG emissions, Habitat and biodiversity, Health and safety, In stream flows, Land and environment, Local economy, Peak flood volume, People and Community, Resource recovery, Risk and Resilience, Soil health, Supply augmentation, System resilience, Total flood volume, Water quality, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

The Nature-Based Solutions Evidence Tool is primarily an online catalog of peer-reviewed research that provides evidence of the impacts of nature-based solutions (NbS) on a wide variety of benefit categories. The tool allows the user to filter results in a variety of ways, including by intervention type, habitat type, climate change impact, effect of Nbs on ecosystem service, geography, and more. Results are displayed in a variety of formats, helping the user to understand the landscape of quantitative and economic research related to a variety of NbSs.

NRCS Practice Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction and Carbon Sequestration

Author: Natural Resource Conservation Service (2012)
Geography: U.S.
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Qualitative description

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Agricultural land management, Land Management

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Carbon sequestration, GHG emissions, Land and environment, Soil health

The NRCS Practice Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction and Carbon Sequestration ranks effectiveness of greenhouse gas reduction techniques for farmers. This list provides NRCS practice codes and brief summaries of techniques.

i-Tree

Author: USDA Forest Service, Davey Tree Expert Company, Arborday Foundation, Society of Municipal Arborists, International Society of Arboriculture, Casey Trees, and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (2019)
Geography: U.S.
Level of Detail: Economic valuation, Quantitative benefits

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Land Management, Reforestation and forest conservation

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Aesthetics, Air quality, Carbon sequestration, GHG emissions, Habitat and biodiversity, Land and environment, People and Community, Recreation, Urban heat island

The i-Tree portal allows environmental managers to quantify benefits of urban and rural forestry. The website provides tools from the USDA Forest Service based on scientific studies to create tangible ecosystem services. These tools allow for the calculation of benefits from the parcel to state level.

COMET-Planner

Author: USDA, Colorado State (2019)
Geography: U.S.
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Quantitative benefits

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Agricultural land management, Land Management, Reforestation and forest conservation, Riparian buffers

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: GHG emissions, Land and environment

The COMET-Planner provides estimates of greenhouse gas emissions for specific agricultural conservation practices. The tool allows for farmers and managers to select potential strategies and quantify the emissions based on the number of acres adopting the practice.

The Untapped Potential of California’s Water Supply: Efficiency, Reuse, and Stormwater – Issue Brief

Author: Gleick et al., Pacific Institute, NRDC (2014)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Case study, Qualitative description

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Agricultural efficiency, Commercial or industrial reuse, Delivery system efficiency, Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Indirect potable reuse, Infiltration and filtration, On site nonpotable reuse, Runoff storage, Urban and industrial nonpotable reuse, Urban indoor efficiency, Urban outdoor efficiency, Water Conservation and Efficiency, Water Reuse

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Ambient water quality, Demand reduction, Energy, Energy for water extraction, GHG emissions, Land and environment, Local economy, People and Community, Risk and Resilience, Supply augmentation, Water quality, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

Increased pressures on Californias water supply, including from population growth and intense periods of drought exacerbated by climate change, are leading to the overuse of surface water and groundwater. But with existing technology and conservation methods, the state can take vital steps to improve its resilience to drought and plan for a more sustainable water future. This issue brief, produced in collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council, is a statewide analysis of the potential for improved efficiency in agricultural and urban water use, water reuse and recycling, and increased capturing of local rainwater.

Water LA

Author: The River Project (2018)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Case study, Economic valuation, Quantitative benefits

Availability: Publicly Available

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, Ambient water quality, Carbon sequestration, Community resilience, End use energy, Energy, Energy for wastewater, Energy for water extraction, Energy for water treatment, Flooding, GHG emissions, Habitat and biodiversity, Health and safety, Land and environment, Local economy, People and Community, Recreation, Risk and Resilience, Soil health, Supply augmentation, Total flood volume, Urban heat island, Water quality, Water Supply, Water supply reliability

The 2018 Water LA report by the River Project explores the opportunities for and challenges of building a resilient region by making small, distributed changes to the urban landscape. The report offers a case study from LA where parcel-scale water management projects provide different social, environmental, and economic benefits.

Life cycle based analysis of demands and emissions for residential water-using appliances

Author: Lee & Tansel, (2012)
Geography: U.S.
Level of Detail: Quantitative benefits

Availability: Paywall

Water Management Strategies: Conservation design, Delivery system efficiency, Urban indoor efficiency, Wastewater Treatment, Water Conservation and Efficiency

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: End use energy, Energy, Energy for wastewater, Energy for water extraction, Energy for water treatment, GHG emissions, Land and environment, People and Community

Life cycle based analysis of demands and emissions for residential water-using appliances focuses on the indirect consumption and environmental impacts from end-use water demand of household appliances. It quantifies the energy and greenhouse gas emissions from three residential water-using appliances using life-cycle analysis.

Methods to Assess Co-Benefits of California Climate Investments: Water Supply and Availability

Author: Einstein & Litke, Center for Resource Efficient Communities, UC-Berkeley (2017)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Case study, Qualitative description, Quantitative benefits

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Distributed Stormwater Infrastructure, Environmental Remediation, Land Management, Water Conservation and Efficiency

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Ambient water quality, Carbon sequestration, Demand reduction, Flooding, GHG emissions, In stream flows, Land and environment, Peak flood volume, Soil health, Supply augmentation, Total flood volume, Water quality, Water Supply

Methods to Assess Co-benefits of California Climate Investments: Water Supply and Availability is a literature review of the different methodologies and approaches to quantifying the water supply and availability benefits from California Climate Investment projects. California Climate Investments are a broad group of projects being pursued across the state to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as wetland restoration and urban tree planting. While the literature review is targeted at California projects, some of the information provided could be applicable more broadly in the U.S.

The estimated impact of California’s urban water conservation mandate on electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions

Author: Spang, Holguin, & Loge, (2018)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Case study, Quantitative benefits

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Urban indoor efficiency, Urban outdoor efficiency, Water Conservation and Efficiency

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: End use energy, Energy, Energy for wastewater, Energy for water extraction, Energy for water treatment, GHG emissions, Land and environment

In The estimated impact of California’s urban water conservation mandate on electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, Spang et al. use the reported water conservation data to assess how the water utilities have responded to the 2015 California water reduction mandate and to estimate the electricity savings and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions associated with reduced operation of urban water infrastructure systems.

Impacts of Urban Water Conservation Strategies on Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Health: Southern California as a Case Study

Author: Sokolow et al., (2016)
Geography: U.S.
Level of Detail: Quantitative benefits

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Desalination, Groundwater Management, Runoff conveyance, Runoff storage, salt water desalination, Surface Water Storage, Urban and industrial nonpotable reuse, Urban outdoor efficiency, Water Conservation and Efficiency, Water Reuse, Water Transfer

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Air quality, Demand reduction, End use energy, Energy, Energy for water extraction, Energy for water treatment, GHG emissions, Health and safety, Land and environment, People and Community, Supply augmentation, Urban heat island, Water supply reliability

Impacts of Urban Water Conservation Strategies on Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Health: Southern California as a Case Study expands on a 2014 health impact assessment of California’s urban water conservation strategies to evaluate the impacts of two possible conservation approaches: banning landscape irrigation and expanding alternative water sources (e.g. recycled water). Findings show that expanding alternative water sources can have a highly positive impact on public health.

Valuing the Environmental Benefits of Urban Water Conservation: Final Report

Author: Coughlin et al., Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, California Urban Watershed Council (2006)
Geography: U.S.
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Economic valuation

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Urban indoor efficiency, Urban outdoor efficiency, Water Conservation and Efficiency

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Air quality, Demand reduction, Energy, Energy for wastewater, Energy for water extraction, Energy for water treatment, Flooding, GHG emissions, Habitat and biodiversity, In stream flows, Land and environment, Local economy, People and Community, Recreation, Water quality, Water Supply

Valuing the Environmental Benefits of Urban Water Conservation Final Report presents a method for valuing the environmental benefits of water conservation and efficiency. Water savings of a particular water conservation strategy are represented by the reduction in water demand, as well as the resulting co-benefits, including enhanced fish habitats, increased recreational opportunities, and improved water quality as a result of wetland filtration. The report provides a methodology for monetizing these environmental benefits so as to provide utilities with a method for comparing the benefits and costs of various best management practices.

Assessing Location and Scale of Urban Nonpotable Water Reuse Systems for Life-Cycle Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Author: Kavvada et al., University of California, Berkeley ReNUWIt (2016)
Geography: Global
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Quantitative benefits

Availability: Paywall

Water Management Strategies: On site nonpotable reuse, Water Reuse

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Air quality, Demand reduction, Energy, Energy for treatment, Energy for wastewater, GHG emissions, Land and environment, Supply augmentation, Water Supply

Assessing Location and Scale of Urban Nonpotable Water Reuse Systems for Life-Cycle Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions examines nonpotable water reuse at different scales to compare centralized and decentralized systems for energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The article presents a planning and support tool for determining the optimal scale and treatment technology for reuse in different locations and elevations.

Greenhouse Gas and Energy Co-Benefits of Water Conservation

Author: Maas, Polis Project (2009)
Geography: Global
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Quantitative benefits

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Urban indoor efficiency, Urban outdoor efficiency, Water Conservation and Efficiency

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: Demand reduction, End use energy, Energy, Energy for wastewater, Energy for water extraction, Energy for water treatment, GHG emissions, Water Supply

Greenhouse Gas and Energy Co-Benefits of Water Conservation examines the multiple benefits that are produced from the “water-energy nexus”. The benefits include indirect energy savings from municipal water and wastewater provision, indirect and direct energy use, and embedded energy for chemical manufacturing. The report includes example case studies conducted on various scales (program, municipal, provincial, and community levels), as well as provides methodologies for the quantification of the cited energy benefits.

Implications of Future Water Supply Sources for Energy Demands

Author: Cooley & Wilkinson, Pacific Institute, WateReuse Research Foundation (2012)
Geography: Western U.S.
Level of Detail: Decision support tool, Quantitative benefits

Availability: Publicly Available

Water Management Strategies: Centralized wastewater treatment, Delivery system efficiency, Groundwater extraction, Groundwater Management, Groundwater recharge, Groundwater storage, Indirect potable reuse, On site nonpotable reuse, Wastewater Treatment, Water Conservation and Efficiency, Water Reuse, Water Transfer

Specific Benefits or Trade-offs: End use energy, Energy, Energy for wastewater, Energy for water extraction, Energy for water treatment, GHG emissions

Implications of Future Water Supply Sources for Energy Demands describes the Water-Energy Simulator (WESim), an easy-to-use analytical tool for evaluating the energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) implications of water management decisions. In this report, energy is considered for (1) source water extraction, (2) water conveyance, (3) water treatment, (4) water distribution, (5) wastewater collection, and (6) wastewater treatment. WESim can include commercial and residential end uses of water and energy requirements for end uses. The report includes case studies utilizing WESim by the Santa Clara Valley Water District and Denver Water.