UCLA researchers showcased their work done in partnership with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to address the challenges in achieving the city’s ambitious energy, climate and water resiliency goals. The Climate Research Symposium, which took place on Oct. 20, sought to highlight current findings from researchers that will contribute to a more sustainable and more resilient Los Angeles.

The Sustainable LA Grand Challenge has facilitated the work by entering an ongoing partnership with LADWP in 2018 to fund research that will enable the city to manage water supplies more sustainably and become more energy efficient and reliant on clean energy.

Alex Hall, UCLA professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences and director of the Center for Climate Science, presented his research on reducing the impacts of climate change. Hall and his team produce neighborhood climate projections, specifically related to future extreme precipitation and fires in California. He described his team’s work on potential climate impacts on L.A.'s water supply predictions.

“The task that we have been given by the LADWP is to try to make these much more precise for the Owens Valley — the watershed where the L.A. Aqueduct is located,” Hall said. “The idea is to see what the impacts will be and how LADWP might respond.”

Another speaker was Gregory Pierce, professor of public policy at UCLA and co-director of the Luskin Center for Innovation, who researches how infrastructure planning and policy efforts impact service inequities, with a primary focus on water insecurity and climate resilience. Pierce, who is also the co-director of the Water Resources Group at UCLA, presented his work on evaluating the resiliency benefits of the Hyperion water plant and L.A.’s Groundwater Development Program.

Additionally, Yousef Bozorgnia, UCLA professor of civil and environmental engineering, presented his expertise in earthquake engineering and ground motion hazard, as it relates to water transmission pipelines across Los Angeles.

Also presenting was Kelly Sanders, professor at the University of Southern California, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, on her investigation of the impacts of anthropogenic heat on the climate of Los Angeles.

The symposium was a collaborative event between UCLA and LADWP with the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative serving as an organizing partner. 

The full recording of the symposium can be found on the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge Youtube Channel.

Image Source: LA Sanitation.