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July 2019
New Report: Plumbing the Depths: Californians Without Toilets and Running Water
California’s Human Right to Water (HRW) law states that “every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for human consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes.” Yet more than 200,000 Californians lack toilets and running water because they live in housing with incomplete plumbing or because they are homeless. Last week, we released a report that examines this problem and proposes policy solutions.

Learn more and download the report here .
The CEO Water Mandate: Advancing Water Stewardship
The complexity of the global water crisis requires urgent action from all sectors of society, from community-based organizations to businesses. As co-manager of the UN Global Compact's  CEO Water Mandate,  we mobilize business leaders to advance water sustainability around the world. Endorsing companies commit to action across six key areas: direct operations; supply chain and watershed management; collective action; public policy; community engagement; and transparency.

Water Risk Management for the Private Sector

Knowledge of water risks and opportunities can help businesses mitigate those risks and contribute to water security. Last month, Whetu and Columbia University’s Columbia Water Center’s launched a Certificate Program in Water Risk Management for the Private Sector. This new online program helps businesses and others around the world understand the basics of the world’s water challenges, how they affect businesses, and what the private sector can do to understand and manage water risk. Peter Schulte of the Pacific Institute teaches a module on collective action.

Learn more here .
Video: Building Water-Smart Cities for the Future
Chennai, India, is the latest, but not the last city, to experience drastic water shortages. As the world’s cites grow and the climate changes, the need and opportunity for innovative urban water solutions is increasing. In this presentation at the Cities of Tomorrow Conference, Research Associate Cora Kammeyer discusses how we can create resilient cities through sustainable water management.

View the video here .
Blog Post: 4 Reasons Why Urban Landscapes are a Linchpin for Climate Resilience
By Cora Kammeyer, Research Associate
We can turn our urban landscapes into assets for climate resilience, rather than a source of risk, writes Kammeyer in a guest blog post on Meeting of the Minds . Sustainable landscapes can make urban communities more resilient to drought and floods, reduce greenhouse gases, improve community livability, and more. Using this approach in urban California could provide as much water as the city of Los Angeles uses in a year.

Read more here .
Video: Multiple Benefits of Water Management Strategies
Many strategies for addressing water challenges can also provide other benefits, including reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, providing wildlife habitat, and enhancing community livability. In this video, Senior Researcher Dr. Sarah Diringer and Research Associate Morgan Shimabuku talk about what a multi-benefits approach to water management looks like on the ground.

View the video here .
Update from Circle of Blue, an Affiliate of the Pacific Institute:
Plumbing Experts Question California's Post-Fire Water Testing Guidance
When the Camp Fire tore through the Sierra Nevada foothills last November, the flames nearly obliterated the town of Paradise. Left in the fire’s wake was a water system in which the pipes and plumbing were contaminated by benzene and other volatile organic compounds. Decontaminating the water system is a core component of Paradise’s recovery.

Read more here . Visit Circle of Blue's website here .
Meet Our Summer Communications Intern Srijani Ghosh
Srijani says she is interested in "the noteworthy research conducted at the Pacific Institute that advances global water and environmental sustainability.” Through her work on social media outreach for the Pacific Institute, S rijani says she is enjoying learning about regional and global water challenges and measures that can be taken to address them.

Read more here .
Meet Our Summer Intern Lillian Holmes
Lillian says she is excited to join the Pacific Institute because of the Institute’s history of conducting vital research for the public interest. Additionally, having consulted Pacific Institute reports for her past work, she says she values "the Institute’s emphasis on making this important research available to everyone."

Read more here .
Upcoming Events: July through August 2019
August 15: Research Associate Cora Kammeyer will speak on the Pacific Institute's sustainable landscapes work at a monthly meeting of Metropolitan Water District members in Los Angeles.

August 25-30 : Pacific Institute staff will participate in a number of events at World Water Week 2019 in Stockholm on behalf of the UN Global Compact's CEO Water Mandate.

Keep an eye out for more upcoming staff events on our news page . Read the list of Pacific Institute experts’ past outreach here .
Pacific Institute in the News
TIME: Tropical Storm Barry Could Hit the Gulf Coast With ‘Unprecedented’ Flooding. Climate Change Is Likely to Blame

The New York Times: Would You Drink Water Out of a Can?

NOVA: Thirsty for Solutions, Water Managers are Putting AI-Powered Tools to Work

Western Water: Can Providing Bathrooms to Homeless Protect California’s Water Quality?

Read more news featuring Pacific Institute research and experts here .
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