Navigating uncharted waters: ASU drives solutions for water resilience | ASU NewsIn the Southwest, water seems to exist in two vastly conflictin...
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network
In the Southwest, water seems to exist in two vastly conflicting states: abundance and scarcity. For some, simply turning on a faucet at work or at home yields a seemingly on-demand supply of one of our planet’s most precious resources. And yet, persisting drought, extreme heat, lessened precipitation and high demand for water have drastically altered our water supply.
The Southwest has grappled with an ongoing megadrought since 2000, the driest period in the last 1,200 years. In a place already known for extreme heat and an arid climate, a secure water supply is especially crucial in order for humanity to thrive.
The Arizona Water Innovation Initiative at ASU — aimed at providing immediate, actionable and evidence-based solutions to strengthen Arizona’s water security — has already seen great success in patenting technologies, empowering communities and better understanding our state’s water challenges. Additionally, the newly launched Water Institute draws from existing academic capacity across ASU, led by the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory to develop educational, research and communication projects that benefit communities across the world.
The barriers to water resilience are multifaceted: Water is a building block for all life and a driving force behind agricultural, energy and technological development. From the food we eat to the cooling systems that keep our desert summers bearable, water plays a role in just about everything humanity touches. These complexities require a diverse range of expertise, strong collaborative efforts and creativity.
With this unprecedented challenge comes the opportunity to lead a wave of education, technology and collaboration toward water resiliency for all. As a unique test bed for transdisciplinary solutions, ASU is at the forefront of a new mission: to secure a thriving water future in Arizona and beyond.
Managing 'liquid gold' in the Southwest
While all of the Southwest faces a stressed water supply, water resources are not split uniformly between all states in the region. Each state has its own unique set of priorities and management strategies, requiring a more personalized approach.
In Arizona, the annual water demand is roughly 7 million acre-feet that is split between agricultural, municipal and industrial use. Sarah Porter, the inaugural director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at ASU, says there is a lot of variance in how that water is allocated, particularly the water that goes toward municipalities.
Illustration of a football field covered in water to demonstrate the concept of one-acre foot of water.
Click to enlarge. Illustration by Oliver Larsen
“Most people get their water from their city water department — some get their water from a private water provider or private water company,” says Porter, an executive committee member of the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative. “A comparatively small number of people get their water another way, typically from a shared well or a well that’s on their property. Under this framework, the responsibility for securing the water supply that is delivered to taps lies with the water provider.”
Putting the responsibility on the water provider means that water portfolios range greatly from city to city. It also means that one city could have a vastly different water portfolio from the next.
“There is a persisting idea that we're all in the same boat in terms of water challenges in Arizona or in the Southwest,” Porter says. “That's simply not the case.”
Amber Wutich, an ASU President’s Professor, director of the Center for Global Health and a 2023 MacArthur Fellow, has dedicated her career to understanding the intersection between water insecurity and the human experience. She says strong water policy is a key element to ensuring future habitability in the Southwest — but it is not a guarantee of water security for all.
“Even great water policy won’t necessarily solve everyone’s problems, and often the most vulnerable get left behind,” says Wutich. “The challenge I am interested in is how to meet the needs of Arizona’s most water-insecure people and communities. Here at ASU, we’re experimenting with new ways to bring together engineered and social infrastructures to ensure water security for all.”
Wutich says water insecurity poses a threat to both physical and mental health, with water insecurity known to contribute to anxiety, depression and PTSD. Wutich leads the “Arizona Water for All” pillar of the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative. This pillar of the initiative focuses on increasing participation in community water decision-making, deploying proven water security solutions, and advancing measurement and monitoring of household water insecurity.
While the current system is not perfect, Porter says it comes with a key advantage: Arizona cities have full-time workers who are responsible for ensuring a strong water supply. In central Arizona specifically, the ongoing goal is making sure that there is 100 years of water. This approach also allows for solutions that can account for nuance and local water use; this would not be possible with a one-size-fits-all approach to water management in the Southwest.
Attached link
https://news.asu.edu/20240904-environment-and-sustainability-navigating-uncharted-waters-asu-drives-solutions-waterTaxonomy
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