Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
the deep challenges that it may also bring, to the detriment of innovation. Once the
priority measures were identified, an interpretation of the legal baselines was con-
ducted to draw up an implementation plan which identified the level to which it was
possible to achieve a two times enlargement of the Rhône, or where the enlargement
needed to be scaled back in order to take account of occupied land by urban zone or
industry. The compromise was to complete a security enlargement of 1.6 times the
current river size, with a more consequential 2 times enlargement in other areas.
It is hoped that this will meet both federal demands, but reduce disruptions to more
heavily urbanised and industrialised areas.
Windows of opportunity generated by successive extreme events that surpassed
past management practices and technologies have limited currency when policy and
engineering innovation meets the reality of implementation within a physically
(urban and industrial reality) and socially (land rights and perceptions) constrained
reality. The participative process of project implementation allows for the integra-
tion of these different voices, to ensure a socially equitable solution, but yet may
result in a dilution of the principles that allow for greater resilience to climate
uncertainty.
In Chile, despite the availability of scientific information on climate change
impacts and sector impact studies, adaptive actions did not account for uncer-
tainty in the context of climate change (particularly given that the development
of inter-annual variability in relation to ENSO - El Niño/La Niña events is currently
one of the areas of climate science with the largest amount of uncertainty).
Environmental impacts and the ecological integrity of the social-ecological system
are not considered outside of economic parameters, and innovation is generally
low, with a reliance on classic technical fixes of large scale dam storage and
increased groundwater exploitation. While water conservation and efficiency
improvements are active or within the scope of governmental bodies (DGA focus on
efficiency), the CNR is at present scaling back its irrigation efficiency programmes
(notably to focus more on improving information and transparency of the water
market). Yet, within the current framework conditions, these programmes do not
lead to reductions in water use, but the expansion of supply or irrigation with the
water that is conserved.
10.2.1.1
Associated Governance Mechanisms
Regime
A mix of federal legislation (WBG, Federal Policy Directives) and cantonal legis-
lation (Valais WBG) set the framework for the most transformational elements of
the TRC (integration of uncertainty and climate information, integrated risk man-
agement based on social-ecological resilience). Environmental provisions within
these laws and environmental goals integrated into subsidy programmes such as
the NFA, attempt to direct water resources management projects and agreements
on water resources in a in a direction that would allow transformation of the SES
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