While challenge of climate change has become a concern to to the public in recent years, regional water suppliers have been including consideration of climate change in their planning for several years.  In fact, the 2009 Regional Water Supply Outlook included the implications of climate change on both water supply and water demand. 

 

Extensive information is available on the internet, including definition of climate change and frequently asked questions. The EPA Climate Change site provides a good starting place for understanding climate change and associated issues.  Much of the technical work associated with climate change is under the umbrella of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is described and access to many of its technical papers are available on the IPCC website. The Pew Center on Global Climate Change also provides useful insight to climate change issues.

 

Within Washington State, the Department of Ecology is the lead state agency for climate change. Ecology maintains a Climate Change website that provides the portal to the state's climate change activities. Much of the technical work and supporting science is provided by the Climate Impacts Group, housed at the University of Washington. The climate impacts group focuses on the intersection of climate science and public policy.