Author(s): Paulo A. Diogo; Antonio C. Rodrigues; Antonio P. Mano; Pedro A. Miranda; Susana Santos; Paulo Inocencio; Ana S. Santos; Nuno Broco; Joana P. Coelho
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Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: Climate change poses multiple risks to the operation of drainage and wastewater treatment plants, mostly related to extreme events such as floods, droughts, and heat waves. Also, reduced water availability threatens receiving waterbodies assimilation capacity, both in terms of quantity and quality. In face of these risks, infrastructural and operational challenges which require adequate planning and implementation and Aguas do Tejo Atlantico (AdTA), company responsible for wastewater drainage, treatment, and discharge in the region of Lisbon, Portugal, serving ca. 2,4 million people, is carrying out the development of a Climate Change (CC) Adaptation Plan. With this purpose, historical events data and climate projections obtained from EURO-CORDEX for scenarios RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 are the basis for climate vulnerability and risk assessment. Heat waves (HW) and water availability have been assessed and will be used to establish CC adaptation strategies. According to the obtained results, HW episodes are likely to increase, and thus potentially inducing changes in urban water uses and thus in wastewater flows, changes in water treatment processes and may also increase electrical power failure risks. Furthermore, according to precipitation runoff modelling results, water availability is very likely to be reduced in receiving water bodies, resulting in enhanced water quality degradation risks, reduced assimilation capacity and thus increase of discharge limitations and technical concerns. The Adaption Plan under development is expected to be concluded in March 2024.
Year: 2024