New Pacific Institute Guide Supports Building Water Resilience with Onsite Water Systems: A Multi-Benefit Approach
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The Pacific Institute recently launched a new guide titled “Guide for Developing Onsite Water Systems to Support Regional Water Resilience.”
The guide assists real estate site developers envision and evaluate how an onsite system can build water resilience using a multi-benefit approach, support equity, improve environmental health, and protect public health beyond the confines of the site itself.
Onsite water systems offer an emerging circular approach to collect, treat, and reuse water for non-potable purposes like outdoor irrigation, toilet flushing, and cooling.
Learn more about how onsite water systems work, why they’re gaining traction, and how they support a more circular approach to water in our latest blog post by Cora Snyder, Senior Researcher at the Pacific Institute.
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Pacific Institute to be Featured at Historic UN 2023 Water Conference
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The UN 2023 Water Conference—the first since 1977—presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to advance water on the global sustainable development agenda. The Conference will take place at UN Headquarters in New York, 22-24 March 2023. Formally known as the 2023 Conference for the Midterm Comprehensive Review of Implementation of the UN Decade for Action on Water and Sanitation (2018-2028), the conference will be co-hosted by Tajikistan and the Netherlands.
Recognized for its thought leadership and convening power, the Pacific Institute will present a range of events to advance water resilience for both the public and private sectors. Stay tuned for more information in a special edition newsletter next month.
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New Pacific Institute Paper Highlights Rise in Global Water Conflicts: Topic To Be Featured at March UN Water Conference
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Peter Gleick, Senior Fellow and Co-Founder, and Morgan Shimabuku, Senior Researcher at the Pacific Institute, have published the first peer-reviewed (open-access) article on the Water Conflict Chronology. The chronology has been a long-standing effort by the Pacific Institute to identify, track, and analyze water-related conflict around the globe. It is the most comprehensive open-source database on water conflicts around the world.
The paper highlights a concerning rise in the number of water-related conflicts, many in water-stressed regions such as the Middle East, southern Asia, and the Sahel, and an increase in the targeting of civilian water infrastructure during conflict.
The Water Conflict Chronology will be featured at the UN 2023 Water Conference from March 22-24.
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CEO Water Mandate Calls on Business Leaders Ahead of UN Water Conference
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In advance of the UN 2023 Water Conference in March, the CEO Water Mandate is rallying the private sector to act on SDG 6. The CEO Water Mandate, a partnership between the Pacific Institute and the UN Global Compact, mobilizes the corporate sector on water action.
The CEO Water Mandate has prepared a new key rallying opportunity: the Business Leaders' Open Call to Accelerate Action on Water. Companies that join the open call acknowledge the necessary role of the private sector in achieving SDG 6 and are moving forward to take action through specific pathways. Companies commit to improving water resilience across their operations and supply chains, along with collectively achieving positive water impact in 100 water-stressed basins worldwide by 2030. Upon launch in March, the Open Call for Water Action will be supplemented by a joint statement from the international water stewardship community on public/private collaboration and a next-steps guide to support companies in achieving their commitments.
Open for signatures by companies, the Open Call for Water Action is available at wateractionnow.org.
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Pacific Institute Researchers Discuss Colorado River Management in TIME Magazine
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With much of the US West depending on the Colorado River, its water supply is being depleted at a faster rate than it can be replenished. Pacific Institute Senior Researcher and Colorado River expert Michael Cohen and Senior Fellow and Co-Founder Dr. Peter Gleick wrote a thought-provoking op-ed in TIME discussing how to prevent a potential catastrophe.
Despite recent historic rainfall, current systems are not resilient. “Imposing more water reductions without taking action to address the source of the decline would be like building additional track in front of a runaway train without also jumping on board and applying the brakes.”
Michael Cohen has also authored a new blog on how to manage the Colorado River when the exact number of people it supports remains unknown.
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Creating Resilient Water Utilities: A Three-Part Series Hosted by the US Environmental Protection Agency
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Join the Creating Resilient Water Utilities (CRWU) initiative by the US Environmental Protection Agency for a series of free webinars for tribal water sector utilities and other water sector stakeholders. The webinars will focus on building resilience to the impacts of climate change, identifying adaptation strategies, and tribal utility infrastructure financing.
This nationwide event is developed in collaboration with the Indian Health Service, Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, and Pacific Institute. The Pacific Institute is proud to be involved through the leadership of Dr. Shannon McNeeley, Senior Researcher and Water and Climate Equity Lead, who is on the planning team for this series.
The webinars take place March 7-14 and registration is open through March 6.
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Recent Speaking Engagements
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Heather Cooley, Pacific Institute Director of Research, recently spoke at the California Water Commission meeting on "Long-term Drought: Expert Panel on Drought Preparedness and Response Strategies." She also presented at a SPUR Digital Discourse exploring ways to curb water rate increases and ensure equity through greater water efficiency.
Watch the recordings below.
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Replay: Experts Discuss Increasing Salinity in California's Salton Sea
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California’s Salton Sea – the state’s largest lake – contains more than 470 million metric tons of dissolved salts, making it more than twice as salty as the ocean and getting saltier. An unknown amount of additional salt – likely measuring in the hundreds of millions of tons – lies on the lake bottom and along the shore. Some three million tons of salts – enough to cover a square mile of land three feet deep – flow into the Sea every year.
This month, Michael Cohen, Pacific Institute Senior Researcher moderated a conversation, joined by Ali Montazar of University of California Cooperative Extension, Chris Holdren, formerly with the Bureau of Reclamation, Elliot Jagniecki of the Utah Geological Survey, and Tom Sephton of EcoMedia Compass.
The webinar discussed improving understanding of the salts entering the Salton Sea and provided an opportunity for discussion among agency staff, stakeholders, and the public.
Topics included:
- Colorado River salts & leaching in Imperial Valley
- Amount, chemistry, and fate of salts entering the Salton Sea
- Great Salt Lake salt chemistry & salinity gradients
- Salt chemistry at high concentrations & desalination
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World Wetlands Day 2023: Celebrating Wetlands' Role in Nature-Based Solutions for Water Resilience
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Wetlands play a crucial role supporting water resilience. As a key site for nature-based solutions (NBS), wetlands filter and store water, sequester vast amounts of carbon, and provide habitat for thousands of plant and animal species, while also safeguarding communities from flooding. Unfortunately, wetlands face unprecedented loss with an estimated 90% of wetlands lost since 1900 leading to global efforts for protection.
On World Wetlands Day, the Pacific Institute celebrated the important role wetlands play and reflected on how we can engage with stakeholders to protect and conserve these precious habitats. The new blog, "The Wonder of Wetlands: A Nature-Based Solution for Environmental Challenges" by Dr. Gregg Brill offers an in-depth explanation wetlands' role in water resilience.
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Peter Gleick Contributes Essay on Water and Climate to Greta Thunberg's New Book
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An essay by Dr. Peter Gleick, Pacific Institute Senior Fellow and Co-Founder is featured in Greta Thunberg's new book, "The Climate Book."
Gleick's water expertise is featured alongside 100 contributors.
In his piece, Gleick states "Water connects us to everything on the planet: our food and health, the well-being of the environment, the production of goods and services, and our sense of community. And water is central to the climate."
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Calling all Changemakers: Share your Impactful Stories with the Pacific Institute
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Are you a partner or stakeholder who has worked or engaged with the Pacific Institute in your water work? Has your utility, NGO, company, community organization, or jurisdiction used Pacific Institute research, policy recommendations, or decision-support tools to advance water resilience? If so, we want to hear from you!
The Pacific Institute is seeking your stories of impact to highlight the incredible work being done by changemakers like you and your organization. Please consider sending a short note indicating how you have used the Pacific Institute's work and let us know if we can follow up with you to hear more--to see if we can feature your story in upcoming publications.
Help inspire others to join the movement towards a more sustainable and equitable world. Share your story with us today!
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Upcoming Speaking Engagements
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Pacific Institute in the News
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Bloomberg: The Colorado River Is Disappearing. Here’s How to Replenish It.
CBS News: Winter Storms Fill Hetch Hetchy, Renew Debate About Reservoir’s Future
CNN: Senators Form Bipartisan Colorado River Caucus as Tensions Rise in West Over Water Crisis
KQED: Examining California’s Role in the Colorado River Water Conflict
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Help create and advance solutions to the world’s most pressing water challenges.
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