Future Fridays: The Future of Water for California and the World

Challenges around access to safe, sufficient, and affordable freshwater are growing around the world as populations increase, economies expand, and our climate changes. Hundreds of millions of people still lack access to basic water services. Billions lack access to adequate sanitation. Violent conflicts over water allocations and control are on the rise. Freshwater ecosystems are increasingly threatened and endangered. Even for a state like California, endowed with wealth, unsurpassed intellectual resources, and – by some measures plenty of water – our fights over water are legion. With unprecedented recent droughts, new environmental threats, and ongoing political discord, it is appropriate to ask: What will the future bring? Dr. Peter Gleick, cofounder and president of the Pacific Institute, will offer insights into our water challenges and describe new, innovative solutions. He will discuss the concept of "peak water" and the soft path for water: a path toward a sustainable, equitable, and balanced water future for California and the rest of the world.

Speaker: Peter Gleick, Pacific Institute