In 2016, the Pacific Institute influenced the creation of sensible and strategic water policies by bringing together disparate stakeholders, widely disseminating groundbreaking studies, and shaping debates through high-level media attention. 

Read more here. 

 

This month, the Pacific Institute and the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water published a report finding that low-income families, communities burdened with environmental pollution, and those dependent on salmon for their livelihood and traditions are highly vulnerable to problems of water supply shortages, rising unaffordability, and insufficient streamflows during drought. 

Read more here. 

Given the massive series of storms bringing rain and snow to California over the past month, many people are asking, "Is the California drought finally over?" "The end of the drought does not mean the end to California's water problems," writes Peter Gleick. "We should ask, 'Are we managing water in a sustainable manner for the long haul?'" 

Read the full op-ed published in The Mercury News here. 

Over the past several years, Governor Brown has issued executive orders to help California respond to the drought and begin preparing for a future of more frequent, severe, and longer-lasting droughts. Throughout this process, the Pacific Institute has collaborated with state agencies, water suppliers, and environmental and social justice organizations to advise and inform state policy, turning groundbreaking research into on-the-ground policy change. 

Read more here. 

An Affiliate of the Pacific Institute

 

The year 2017 will be one of transition for Flint. The city's water is not the wreck it was, but Flint, like many U.S. cities, still faces an infrastructure crisis. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has struggled to establish relationships with rural America. Can the U.S. Department of Agriculture build bridges for clean streams and a durable water system? 

Visit Circle of Blue's website here.

Pacific Institute Experts' Outreach

 

On January 30-31, Senior Research Associate Michael Cohen will participate in the opening panel at the California Irrigation Institute's 55th Annual Meeting in Sacramento, California, where he will discuss the importance of the Colorado River for California's water supply.

Read more about this event  here.

Coinciding with the release of the report "Drought and Equity in California," on January 9 and 10 the Pacific Institute and the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water held summits in Fresno and Sacramento on the effects of the California drought on vulnerable communities across the state. The meetings brought together members of impacted communities, as well as local and state decision-makers, nonprofit leaders, and researchers to discuss strategies for building communities' resilience in the face of future droughts. 

Read the full list of Pacific Institute experts' past outreach here.

KVPR:  Low-Income Communities Hit Hardest By Drought, Says Report

NPR:  As Rains Soak California, Farmers Test How To Store Water Underground

Mother Jones:  California Got Soaked-But Don't Start Your Endless Showers Just Yet

Read more news stories featuring the Pacific Institute here.