"Digital Technology Solutions for the Colorado River Basin"

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"Digital Technology Solutions for the Colorado River Basin"

Environmental Law Institute and Water Foundry publish report, "Digital Technology Solutions for the Colorado River Basin"

Facing water scarcity and over-allocation, the report illustrates the potential of digital technologies like Artificial Intelligence to transform the way the Basin is managed to ensure a sustainable and resilient future.

The  Environmental Law Institute  (ELI), a non-partisan research and education center working to strengthen environmental protection by improving law and governance worldwide, and  Water Foundry , a global advisor in solving water-related challenges and driving technology innovation, today released their report, "Digital Technology Solutions for the Colorado River Basin."

The report is based on outcomes from an October workshop jointly hosted by ELI and Water Foundry that examined the challenges of the Colorado River Basin that could be addressed through digital solutions and mapped feasible technological solutions for those challenges.

"Among priorities for the Colorado River Basin discussed at the workshop and highlighted in the report are the clear lack of data integration for informed decisions and demand management solutions that, at scale, may solve the compounding water supply challenges," said Will Sarni, Founder of Water Foundry. "Digital solutions to address the region's water challenges exist; what we need now are innovative strategies for investing in, piloting and scaling technologies across the Basin."

The American West — including the cities of Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Denver — falling under the reaches of the greater Colorado River Basin is now among the world's water-stressed regions facing the environmental, economic and social challenges of increased water scarcity. Yet, the environmental and economic importance of the Basin is profound. The Colorado River supports $1.4 trillion in annual economic activity, which is equivalent to about 1/12 of the total gross domestic product in the U.S.1

Digital solutions that could benefit the Basin, as examined in the workshop and detailed in the report include:

The report goes on to detail use cases of these technologies in water resource management (pages 15-19) and examines funding opportunities for implementation of such technologies in the Colorado River Basin specifically (pages 22-24).

"It's clear there are myriad ways technology can be used to solve some of the Basin's most pressing challenges," said Dave Rejeski, Visiting Scholar at ELI. "Through this workshop and report, we've established a means to drive these digital pilot projects forward as a part of the long-term strategy for system conservation of the Basin. Its importance cannot be overstated from both an environmental and economic perspective. There's a great deal at stake."

The report in its entirety can be  found here .

About the Environmental Law Institute
The Environmental Law Institute makes law work for people, places, and the planet. With its non-partisan, independent approach, ELI promotes solutions to tough environmental problems. The Institute's unparalleled research and highly respected publications inform the public debate and build the institutions needed to advance sustainable development.

About Water Foundry
Water Foundry creates leading edge water strategies for US and non-US multinationals, non-governmental organizations and the public sector. These strategies range from initial water strategy efforts to moving companies to more advanced water stewardship strategies and validating program performance. The company also works with innovative water technology start ups and growth stage companies as an advisor on business strategy, funding and business development. Water Foundry was founded by Will Sarni, an internationally recognized thought leader on water strategy and innovation. Learn more at  www.waterfoundry.com .

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