Climate change adaptation of urban water management systems in the wet/dry tropics

Abstract

Climate change impacts in the wet/dry tropics are expected to include an increase in extreme daily rainfall events, mean evaporation rates and mean temperatures. The proposed Weddell development, located 40 km south of Darwin, is forecast to have up to 10,500 residents by 2021. This increasing population coupled with projected climate change impacts will increase demand for potable water and exacerbate existing problems associated with the region’s wastewater treatment infrastructure. Water sensitive urban design (WSUD) provides an effective method of improving discharge water quality, providing water storage capacity and achieving peak flow attenuation. Using the Weddell development as a point of reference this study has shown that WSUD designs implemented in sub-tropical and temperate areas are not directly transposable to the wet/dry tropics. WSUD designs need to be adapted to cope with the extended dry period characteristic of the wet/dry tropics. While WSUD elements could constitute effective adaptation measures in the wet/dry tropics, there is a definite need for long-term studies that assess the practicality of maintaining functioning WSUD elements in the region. In this contribution we discuss the key issues associated with WSUD in the Northern Territory and the outcomes of a consultation workshop with government agencies.