Climate Change and Kansas Water Management: Perspectives and Opportunities

Abstract

Climate change is a critical issue that has begun to shape water management and planning on the federal and state levels. This study focuses on the potential to integrate climate change into Kansas statewide water planning and management. A survey was employed to understand the personal perspectives of Kansas water managers, planners, and decisionmakers in state agencies towards climate change and its integration into state-based water planning. Respondents were targeted at three agencies: the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Kansas Water Office, and the Kansas Department of Agriculture — Division of Water Resources; 37 of 64 respondents finished the survey. The survey results, along with a review of key Kansas water management plans, suggest that Kansas water managers are indeed responsive to climate variability and are starting to integrate climate variability into planning efforts. To promote successful integration, helpful lessons from the climate science-policy literature are provided, such as a description of potential barriers and strategies useful for effective integration.