Water/Climate Briefing Archive

April 8, 2015 – Land-use Change and its Effects on the North American Monsoon

Speaker

• Theodore Bohn, Post-doctoral Research Associate at Decision Center for a Desert City and School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University

Southern Arizona and New Mexico receive 40-60% of their annual rainfall in the summer as part of the North American Monsoon (NAM). Modeling studies suggest 15-25% of this rainfall first falls on Mexican land, is transpired by vegetation, and subsequently is transported northward across the border to the US. The natural ecosystems in Sierra Madre Occidental and the adjacent Gulf of California are known for their rapid greening and large transpiration rates at the onset of the monsoon, which promote the recycling of precipitation back into the atmosphere and facilitate further rainfall. Two primary human activities have dramatically changed the region’s hydrologic cycle and evapotranspiration rates: irrigated agriculture and deforestation for grazing activities.

March 4, 2015 – Climate Change Risk: Extreme Fires and Post-Fire Flooding

Panelists

• Jonathan Fuller, JE Fuller Hydrology and Geomorphology, Inc.
• Jennifer Wesselhoff, President/CEO, Sedona Chamber of Commerce
• Christopher “Kit” O’Connor, Postdoctoral Research Associate and Lecturer, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona
• Abe Springer, Professor, School of Earth Sciences & Environmental Sustainability, Northern Arizona University
• Dave White, Co-Director and Moderator, Decision Center for a Desert City, Arizona State University

Fires are an annual risk for Arizona’s forests which seem to be getting more frequent and catastrophic as our climate becomes hotter and drier. Often after a forest fire, storms can create post-fire floods that cause even more damage. Panelists explored extreme fires and their post-fire floods within the context of heightened climate change risk. How does the ecology of Arizona forests change in response to climatic conditions and how this affects the risks of forest fires, damage fires, and post-fire floods?

January 15, 2015 – Sharing risk and resources in water management: Need-based transfers from small-scale societies to large-scale systems

Panelists

• Lee Cronk, Co-Director, The Human Generosity Project, Professor, Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University
• Athena Aktipis, Co-Director, The Human Generosity Project, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University
• Amber Wutich, Associate Professor School of Human Evolution and Social Change Arizona State University
• John T. Murphy, Researcher, Argonne National Laboratory, University of Chicago Computation Institute
• Dave White, Moderator, Co-Director, Decision Center for a Desert City, Arizona State University

Humans across the world face the problem of how to mitigate risk and manage limited resources. Sharing systems used by small-scale societies, such as the Maasai of East Africa, create networks of resource transfers that reduce the risk associated with ecological volatility and other shocks without requiring centralized control over resource distribution. These sharing systems often use the criteria of transferring resources based on the need of the recipient.

This briefing was supported in part through a partnership with The Human Generosity Project.

November 17, 2014 – Institutional Roles in Meeting Environmental Needs of the Colorado River

Panelists

• Sandra Postel, Global Water Policy Project, Freshwater Fellow, National Geographic Society
• Kathryn Sorensen, Director, Water Services, City of Phoenix
• Jonathan Koppell, Dean and Professor, College of Public Programs, Arizona State University
• Rhett Larson, Associate Professor of Law, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University
• Grady Gammage, Jr., Moderator and Senior Research Fellow, Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Arizona State University

Joining the panel, special guest Sandra Postel, who directs the independent Global Water Policy Project, and lectures, whites and consults on global issues and leads the National Geographic’s Change the Course campaign. The panel discussed the role of institutions in managing the Colorado river to support a range of ecosystem services including meeting the environmental demands of riparian areas and restoring the wetlands of the river’s delta.

This briefing was supported in part through a partnership with Barrett, The Honors College and Arizona Science Center.

October 27, 2014 – Better environmental decisions: We all want them, but how do we get them?

Speaker

• Joe Arvai, Professor and Svare Chair in Applied Decision Research, University of Calgary

Over the last several years, we have witnessed an explosion of interest in the science of judgment and decision-making. Bestsellers like Predictably Irrational and Thinking, Fast and Slow have provided engaging summaries of research on how people make choices. However, applications of this research have struggled to keep pace. This is especially true when we think about problems (and opportunities) that demand what could be termed “active decision support.” Dr. Arvai talked about research conducted in his lab at the University of Calgary, to develop and test decision-aiding tools.

This talk was held in partnership with the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes.

October 1, 2014 – Extreme Climate Events: Heat and its Impact on Health

Panelists

• Nancy Selover, State Climatologist, Arizona State Climate Office and Research Professor, Arizona State University
• Sharon Harlan, Professor, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University
• Mikhail Chester, Assistant Professor, School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University
• Brande Mead, Human Services Program Manager, Maricopa Association of Governments
• Vjollca Berisha, Sr. Epidemiologist, Maricopa County
• Anne Reichman, Moderator and Program Manager, Sustainable Cities Network, Arizona State University

The risk of climate extremes is likely to intensify with the impacts of climate change, leading to efforts to enhance resilience and capacity to adapt. Throughout the year, we will discuss the possible nature of future extreme events and strategies to prepare and cope with hotter temperatures, increased fire frequency, extreme floods, and diminishing water supplies with our science, planning, and policy experts.

March 5, 2014 – Arizona Water Supply Sustainability: In-state Water Transfers

Panelists

• Michael J. Lacey, Director, Arizona Department of Water Resources
• Patrick L. Morgan, Manager, Yuma Mesa Irrigation and Drainage District
• Paul Muthart, General Manager, Pasquinelli Produce Co., Yuma, Arizona
• Dave D. White, Co-director, Decision Center for a Desert City, Arizona State University
• Ray Quay, Moderator and Director of Stakeholder Relations, Decision Center for a Desert City, Arizona State University
• Welcome by Jonathan Koppell, Dean of the College of Public Programs and the Lattie and Elva, Coor Presidential Chair in the School of Public Affairs

Moving water from one area of Arizona to another has the potential to create controversies, especially if the area from which the water is being transferred has existing water uses and economies built on that water supply. In the Arizona Department of Water Resources report, “Arizona’s Next Century: A Strategic Vision for Water Supply Sustainability”, it is suggested that in-state water transfers will play a strategic role in Arizona’s sustainable water future. Yet, the report suggests that a comprehensive analysis of water transfers is needed to better understand their role in our water future and their secondary benefits and impacts. In this Water/Climate Briefing, our panelists will used Yuma County as a case study to begin identifying the issues about water transfers that we need to better understand and what type of further dialogue and research is needed.

February 5, 2014 – Communicating Complex Information to Enhance Decision Making

Panelists

• Andy Terrey, Project Coordinator, Water Resource Department, City of Phoenix
• Erik Johnston, Associate Professor of Policy Informatics, School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University
• Manjana Milkoreit, Postdoctoral Fellow, Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiative, Arizona State University
• Dave White, Moderator and Co-Director, Decision Center for a Desert City, Arizona State University

Complexity is an inescapable aspect of environmental decision making as individuals and institutions try to make informed choices with complex and uncertain information. One major challenge stems from the need to communicate complexity and frame information in a way that is relevant and useful for decision makers. In this Water/Climate Briefing, our panelists will discuss techniques – such as information products/simulation models, scenarios, and decisional games – for communicating complexity in policy and governance processes for water sustainability and climate change adaptation. Panelists will describe examples at multiple scales – from water management in Phoenix to global climate change negotiations – that illustrate the challenges and opportunities of communicating complexity.

December 2, 2013 – Visualizing Climate Change to Develop Local Solutions

Keynote Speaker

• Stephen R. J. Sheppard, Ph.D., ASLA, Professor, Director of Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning (CALP), University of British Columbia

How do we communicate and visually demonstrate the invisible threat of climate change in our local communities?

In his recent book, Visualizing Climate Change: A Guide to Visual Communication of Climate Change and Developing Local Solutions, Dr. Stephen Sheppard demonstrates how we can use climate change visualizations to assist decision makers and inspire a call to action.

Using dramatic visual imagery such as 3D and 4D visualizations of future landscapes, community mapping, and iconic photographs, extensive color imagery explains how climate change works where we live, and reveals how we often conceal, misinterpret, or overlook the evidence of climate change impacts and our carbon usage that causes them.

Dr. Sheppard received a BA/MA in Agricultural and Forest Sciences from Oxford, a MSc. in Forestry at the University of British Columbia, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Planning at University of California, Berkeley. Considered an expert in visualization, Sheppard has over 30 years experience in environmental assessment and public participation internationally.

Sheppard teaches in sustainable landscape planning, aesthetics, and visualization in the Faculty of Forestry and Landscape Architecture programme at UBC. He received a BA/MA in Agricultural and Forest Sciences at Oxford, a MSc. in Forestry at UBC, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Planning at UC. Berkeley.

He directs the Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning (CALP), an interdisciplinary research group using perception-testing and immersive/interactive visualization to support public awareness and collaborative planning on sustainability issues. He has over 30 years’ experience in environmental assessment and public participation internationally.

He has written or co-written two books on visual simulation, and co-edited “Forests and Landscapes: Linking Ecology, Sustainability, and Aesthetics”, Volume 6 in the IUFRO Research series. Current research interests lie in perceptions of climate change, the aesthetics of sustainability, and visualization theory and ethics.

For more information about Dr. Sheppard:
UBC Forestry Profile
Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning

November 6, 2013 – Extreme Climate Events: Long-term Drought in the Southwest

Guest Speaker

• Iris Grossmann, Ph.D., Research Scientist at Carnegie Mellon’s Center for Climate and Energy Decision Making (CEDM)

In this talk, Grossmann examines droughts in the Southwest to demonstrate that extreme weather events are not stationary over time, with the impacts of global warming and multi-decadal climate variability. Given the magnitude of the projected impacts, she recommends that water managers explicitly incorporate both global warming and multi-decadal variability into their long-term planning.

October 16, 2013 – Effective Communication of Scenarios and Scenario Analysis for Decision Making

Panelists

• Charles A. Cullom, Manager, Colorado River Programs, Central Arizona Project
• Arnim Wiek, Associate Professor, School of Sustainability, Arizona State University
• Wally R. Wilson, Chief Hydrologist, Water Resources Management, Tucson Water
• Ray Quay, Moderator, Director of Stakeholder Relations, Decision Center for a Desert City, Arizona State University

Scenarios are one method to describe the complexity and uncertainty inherent within the management of complex systems. The development and analysis of these scenarios is an effective method to synthesize simple facts about a system’s complexity and uncertainty that can be used as a guide for decision making. Our panelists will focus on how to communicate effectively scenarios and scenario analysis to a wide audience of the general public, policy professionals, and political decision makers in order to facilitate effective and sustainable system management.

September 4, 2013 – Challenges of Communicating Sustainability in Complex Systems for Public Policy

Panelists

• Jonathan Koppell, Dean, College of Public Programs, Lattie and Elva Coor Presidential Chair, School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University
• Michael Schoon, Assistant Professor, Environmental Policy, School of Sustainability, Arizona State University
• Doug Toy, Water Regulatory Affairs Manager, City of Chandler
• Dave White, Moderator, Co-Director, Decision Center for a Desert City, Arizona State University

In our first Water/Climate Briefing for the 2013-2014 academic year, DCDC set the stage for a wide-ranging discussion of critical issues in the realms of science and policy for this year’s theme: Communicating Sustainability in Complex Systems for Public Policy.

Our panelists explored:

• Understanding sustainability and complex systems
• Communicating sustainability and climate change for public policy
• Design of governance arrangements to transcend political borders
• Design and administration of complex organizations
• The role of global governance organizations in sustainability
• Incorporating complexity into water resources decision making
• Innovative tools for communicating complexity for public policy

September 2011-May 2013 Water/Climate Briefing Archive

2012-2013 Water/Climate Briefings – Dynamics of Water in an Urban Ecosystem

April 23, 2013 – The Future of Arizona’s Forests: Anticipating the effects of climate change and fire on water sustainability

Arizona’s forests are not only mountain playgrounds for recreation and tourism but also sustain critical ecosystem functions such as water storage, filtration, and release for downstream uses.

In the face of climate change, forest ecosystems are being stressed from higher temperatures and lower precipitation, making them more vulnerable to insect infestations and more frequent and intense wildfires.

The impacts of climate and landscape changes and wildfire include increased erosion, sedimentation, and warmer water temperatures, which in turn affect municipal water supplies and riparian habitats.

Please join us as we explore the critical research and policy priorities regarding the interaction between Arizona’s climate, forests, and water.

Panelists

Erik Nielsen
Assistant Professor
School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability
Northern Arizona University

Thomas Sisk
Olajos-Goslow Professor of Environmental Science and Policy
Northern Arizona University

Abe Springer
Professor of Geology
Northern Arizona University

Dave White
Moderator and Co-Director
Decision Center for a Desert City
Arizona State University

When

Tuesday, April 23, 2013, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

Location

Decision Center for a Desert City, 21 East 6th Street, Suite 126B, Tempe

March 6, 2013 – Environment and Water: Decision-support Tools for Managing Ecosystem Services in Arizona

Humans benefit from a multitude of resources and services that are supplied by ecosystems.

ASU’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability is undertaking research on the contribution of Arizona’s ecosystems to sustainable economic growth, job creation, and human wellbeing in Arizona.

Ecosystem services being studied include water quality and quantity, erosion control, fire regulation, recreation and tourism, grazing, and disease regulation. The discussion will highlight the new and innovative scientific methods being developed to assess ecosystem services and how potential changes in land use would affect the present and future delivery and value of these ecosystem services.

Panelists

Ann Kinzig
Professor, School of Life Sciences
Co-Director, ecoServices Group
Chief Research Strategist, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability

Charles Perrings
Professor of Environmental Economics
Co-Director, ecoServices Group
School of Life Sciences

When

Wednesday, March 6, 2013, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

Location

Decision Center for a Desert City, 21 East 6th Street, Suite 126B, Tempe

February 27, 2013 – The Dynamics of Energy and Water for Central Arizona Agriculture

Water, energy, and policy are intimately linked in the West.

Irrigated agriculture is particularly sensitive to changes in the source and price of energy, with implications for water demand, land use and economic activity in Central Arizona.

• In what ways is Central Arizona agriculture sensitive to changing energy policy?
• How can irrigation districts and farmers cope with the dynamics of energy and water prices?
• What might different energy scenarios mean for the viability of central Arizona agriculture?

Panelists

Brian Betcher, General Manager, Maricopa Stanfield Irrigation and Drainage District
Ed Gerak, General Manager, Buckeye Water Conservation and Drainage District
Katosha Nakai, Manager, Tribal Relations and Policy Development, Business Planning and Governmental Programs, Central Arizona Project
Ron Rayner, Partner/Manager, A Tumbling T Ranches
Karen Smith, Fellow, Grand Canyon Institute

When

Wednesday, February 27, 2013, 3:00-4:30p.m.

Location

November 14, 2012 – Dynamics of Water in Urban Ecosystems: Effluent for the Environment

The reuse of effluent, otherwise known as reclaimed or recycled water, is becoming more and more of a commodity as water resource manager’s deal with tightening water budgets. It has many uses including groundwater recharge, cooling for industrial uses and irrigation for crops, public parks and golf courses. Now, it is even being considered as a drinking water supply in places using groundwater recharge/recovery or “toilet-to-tap” technology.

With its many beneficial uses possibly one of the most important is its utilization to support natural environments. Across the country, water that was once considered a nuisance is now being sought after for environmental stream flows and projects such as the Tres Rios wetlands in Phoenix and the Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson, both of which create wildlife habitat using effluent.

Panelists

Peter Fox, Ph.D., Professor, ASU School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment
Tom Hildebrandt, Wildlife Program Manager (retired), AZ Game & Fish, Central Arizona Regions
Bruce Prior, Hydrologist, City of Tucson Water Department
Robert F. Upham, P.E., Project Manager, Water Resources Division, City of Phoenix

When

Wednesday, November 14, 2012, 12:00–1:30 p.m.

Location

Decision Center for a Desert City, 21 East 6th Street, Suite 126B, Tempe

September 5, 2012 – Dynamics of Water in an Urban Ecosystem

In our first Water/Climate Briefing for 2012-2013, DCDC sets the stage with a broad-based discussion of future topics related to this year’s theme: The dynamic role of water within urban ecosystems in relation to the management of cities and regions of Arizona. Our panelists will explore:

• Effluent and Environmental Systems
• Impact of Climate Change on Riparian Systems
• Stormwater: Green Infrastructure Systems
• Quantifying Water Use for Ecosystem Services
• Water Use Within Public Features
• The Impact of Environmental Stresses on Water Quality

We hope to provide opportunities for researchers, water resource managers, and the public to gain insight to the challenges of water within our urban places and ecosystems.

Panelists

Dan Childers, Moderator and Professor, ASU School of Sustainability
Juliet Stromberg, Associate Professor, ASU School of Life Sciences
Aimée Conroy, Deputy Water Services Director, City of Phoenix
Sarah Porter, Executive Director, Audubon Arizona

When

Wednesday, September 5, 2012, 12:00–1:30 p.m.

Location

Decision Center for a Desert City, 21 East 6th Street, Suite 126B, Tempe

2011-2012 Water/Climate Briefings

The Psychology and Economics of Environmental Decision Making

October 26, 2011 – The Psychology of Environmental Decision Making

Presenting research ranging from human environment interactions and water resource governance to aspects of human nature that constitute potential obstacles to solving problems of sustainability or that might facilitate our ability to make sustainable decisions.This year’s DCDC Water/Climate Briefing theme focuses on a branch of behavioral research situated at the intersection of psychology and economics. Our researchers are exploring the mental processes that shape our choices, behaviors and attitudes, and employ both evolutionary and sociocultural models to understand environmental decision making.

Presenters:

Susan Ledlow, PhD, School of Sustainability
Kelli Larson, PhD, School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning and the School of Sustainability

November 30, 2011 – Keynote Address – Our Energy-Efficiency Paradox: Psychological Barriers to ‘No-Brainer’ Solutions

Of all environmentally-relevant decisions, the adoption of energy-efficiency technologies would appear to be a ‘no-brainer,’ yet these solutions are vastly underused. In this talk, Dr. Weber will highlight the psychological reasons for this paradox and suggest ways in which we can harness cognitive limitations to spark greater adoption of win-win solutions.

Keynote Speaker:

Elke U. Weber
Jerome A. Chazen Professor of International Business, Columbia University
Director, Center for Research on Environmental Decisions, Earth Institute
Director, Center for the Decision Sciences

December 6, 2011 – Cotton, Condos, and Climate: Agriculture and Arizona’s Water Future

Decision-makers in Arizona are comforted by the idea that water can be diverted from farms to cities in the face of future water scarcity. The assumption has been that historic trends in farm retirement will continue into the future, releasing water for urban use. However, rapid changes in economic, environmental and policy conditions now challenge this assumption.

A panel of agriculture and water resource practitioners and professionals will discuss these and other issues associated with agriculture, urban growth and Arizona’s future demand for water.

Panelists

Paco Ollerton, Cotton Grower
Jim Holway, Director, Western Lands and Communities, a Lincoln Institute of Land Policy-Sonoran Institute Joint Venture
Brian Betcher, Manager, Maricopa-Stanfield Irrigation and Drainage District, Pinal County
Joe Sigg, Director of Government Relations, Arizona Farm Bureau

Organizers

School of Sustainability graduate students from the workshop, “Adaptation, Resilience and Transformation.”

April 17, 2012 – The Economics of Water Demand: The Dynamics of Water Use and Price

Price is often suggested as a simple straightforward tool to encourage people to be more efficient in how they use water. However, the economics of water demand are not that simple. Water is used for many purposes. Water is used to meet the basic necessity of life, consumption and hygiene. Water is used to create an atmosphere that suits our lifestyles, landscapes and pools, and perhaps long hot showers. Water is used for economic gain, from creating places attractive to customers to washing silicon chips. The sale of water is also used to finance the infrastructure and costs associated with making water available to a community. Each of these water uses has its own economic dynamics based on behaviors and motivation for water use which can vary among the consumers in each category. At the same time, the economics for each of these water uses are related, changes in one can affect the other. Thus, decision making about the price of water is not as clear as it may initially appear. The goal of this climate briefing is to increase the awareness of the complexities associated with the price of water by facilitating a discussion about the differences and relationships that exist in the economics of different water uses.

Panelists:

V. Kerry Smith, Regents Professor, W. P. Carey School of Business, Department of Economics
Doug Frost, Principal Planner, Water Services Department, City of Phoenix
Gary Niekerk, Director of Corporate Citizenship, Intel Corporation

April 25, 2012 – Annual DCDC Poster Symposium

The DCDC Poster Symposium is one of the highlights of each Spring semester. Student posters present the results of various research projects conducted by students enrolled the Internship for Science-Practice Integration (ISPI) and the Community of Graduate Scholars (CGS).