WATER SECURITYNavigating Uncharted Waters: ASU Drives Solutions for Water Resilience
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.
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 SouthwestWhile 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.
