March 2021
New Release: Benefit Accounting of Nature-Based Solutions for Watersheds: Guide
Nature-based solutions restore, manage, and protect the environment and water resources while increasing biodiversity and providing additional social and economic benefits. There is no standardized method to account for the benefits these solutions provide, making it hard to build the case for investment. This guide helps users identify and account for the water, carbon, and biodiversity benefits provided by nature-based solutions, as well as additional socio-economic benefits.

Read more and download the guide here.
World Water Day 2021: Reflecting on the Value of Water
March 22nd is the United Nations 29th annual World Water Day, which focuses on raising the importance of water, the magnitude of the water challenges we face, and the need for urgent action. As World Water Day 2021 approaches, Pacific Institute Senior Researcher Cora Kammeyer reflects on the continued challenges facing the world’s water. To solve the global water crisis, she writes, we must integrate the true value of water into management and decision making – from national governments to global corporations to local cities and farms.

Read more here.
Upcoming Event: "Brave Blue World" Virtual Screening and Panel Discussion
This month, watch the acclaimed documentary film Brave Blue World on Netflix, then join the Pacific Institute and the California Water Environment Association for a discussion focused on the power of technology and innovation to create a sustainable water future. A panel of California wastewater experts moderated by Pacific Institute Director of Research Heather Cooley will take a closer look at what we can do to solve the water crisis, in California and beyond.

Date: March 29, 2021, 11:00AM-1:00PM PT
Learn more and register here.
Update from the CEO Water Mandate: The Water Resilience Coalition's 2020 Annual Report
The Pacific Institute is Co-Secretariat of the CEO Water Mandate, a UN Global Compact initiative that mobilizes business leaders on water, sanitation, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 
The Water Resilience Coalition (WRC), a CEO Water Mandate initiative, has released its 2020 Annual Report. The report looks at the WRC’s development of an internal working definition of the Net Positive Water Impact concept, its prioritization of countries and basins for on-the-ground collective action initiatives in 2021, its partnership with WaterAid focused on a hygiene campaign to support the prevention of the COVID-19 transmission, its plans for the future, and more.
 
Read the report here
Upcoming Event: The Value of Water for Business
World Water Day 2021 focuses on the value of water, highlighting its importance from multiple angles, including cultural, environmental, economic, and financial. In this webinar, corporate leaders including Pacific Institute President and Head of the CEO Water Mandate Jason Morrison will discuss what water means to the business sector, and why it should be prioritized in business decision making. The webinar will introduce practical tools to help companies advance water stewardship practices, as well as examples of companies using these tools.
 
Date: March 22, 2021, 7:00AM-8:30AM PT
Learn more and register here.
New Release: Financial Impacts of COVID-19 on Small Water Systems: Summary of Impacts in California
This new brief explores the financial effects of COVID-19 on small community water systems across California. Even prior to the pandemic, many of these water systems faced precarious circumstances. The pandemic is exacerbating these challenges, and additional support will help them continue to deliver drinking water to 2.4 million Californians. This brief is the latest in a series providing information for advocates and policymakers to address the financial impacts of COVID-19 on small community water systems across the U.S.

Read more and download the brief here.
Blog Post: Implications of California’s Water Futures Market
By Michael Cohen, Senior Researcher

A recently launched water futures market in California drew global attention, from Wall Street to the United Nations. In this blog post, Senior Researcher Michael Cohen examines the potential implications of the water futures market in California, from impacts on water supply to water price manipulation.

Read more here. Read our earlier blog post in this series,"California’s Water Futures Market: Explained" here.
The Pacific Institute is Hiring!
Join our team dedicated to creating and advancing solutions to the world's most pressing water challenges.

An experienced communications professional to help us expand our reach and impact as we work to raise the profile of water around the globe.

A high-caliber corporate water stewardship professional to lead the Pacific Institute and CEO Water Mandate’s technical work program on corporate water stewardship and support the CEO Water Mandate’s flagship initiative, the Water Resilience Coalition.

A collaborative, impact-focused self-starter to lead work that supports efforts to advance water sustainability and resilience in the United States and around the world, with an explicit focus on water-related challenges faced by and solutions for the most vulnerable communities.
Upcoming Events: March and April 2021
March 20-21 I Dr. Gleick will give a talk about the global water crisis at The Council for the Human Future’s conference "Delivering the Human Future."

March 22 I President Jason Morrison will join a panel of corporate leaders to discuss "The Value of Water for Business."

March 22 I President Emeritus Dr. Peter Gleick will give a talk on "The Future of Water" for the "Big Splash" event hosted by the UNESCO Chair and UNITWIN at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom and the University's new Institute of Global Innovation.

March 29 I Director of Research Heather Cooley will moderate a panel of experts for the "'Brave Blue World' Virtual Screening and Panel Discussion," presented by the Pacific Institute and the California Water Environment Association.

April 8 I Ms. Cooley will present at the "Tap into Resilience: WaterNow Alliance Virtual Summit" on the Pacific Institute's research on onsite water systems in Silicon Valley.
From the Blog: Pacific Institute Insights
Pacific Institute in the News: Spotlight on California's Salton Sea
A few weeks ago, ground was broken on California's Species Conservation Project to create habitat and control dust at the Salton Sea, the state's largest lake.

KUNC: After Years of Delays, California Tries to Tamp Down Salton Sea Dust

KPBS: State Water Project Takes Aim at Restoring Salton Sea, Alleviating Health Risks

Read more news featuring Pacific Institute research and experts here.
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