Published: November 2003
The largest, least expensive, and most environmentally sound source of water to meet California's future needs is the water currently being wasted in every sector of our economy.
Learn MorePublished: July 2003
A new revision of a report on climate change and California water resources is now available.
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Published: June 2003
There are two ways to think about the title of this hearing: Is Water the Oil of the 21st Century?
Learn MorePublished: April 2003
Testimony of Dr. Peter H. Gleick Before the Legislative Hearing of the Subcommittee on Water and Power Of the Committee on Resources United States Congress.
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Published: March 2003
Solving the freshwater crisis requires significantly more investment and spending in the water sector, but getting more money requires broad agreement among stakeholders.
Learn MorePublished: February 2003
The report details the work of our various programs, covers their successes and results, and offers history and background about some of the most pressing challenges we face: climate change, threats to our water resources, terrorism and conflict, the perils of globalization, and the importance of environmental justice.
Learn MorePublished: December 2002
On December 9, 2002 the Imperial Valley Irrigation district voted not to transfer water to San Diego as outlined in the Hertzberg negotiated settlement. This means that the proposed Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA) will not go forward. If this deal falls through, California's Metropolitan Water District (MWD) will get 800,000 acre-feet less water next year.
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Published: August 2002
From increases in infectious diseases and uncertainty in food markets to more frequent and intense natural disasters, increased CO2 emissions have the potential to destabilize economies and spark global conflict.
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Published: August 2002
Inadequate access to safe drinking water and sanitation systems is a critical human health issue that impacts billions of people around the globe.
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Published: July 2002
The soft path seeks to improve the overall productivity of water use and deliver water services matched to the needs of end users, rather than seeking sources of new supply.
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Published: June 2002
The third volume in the The World’s Water book series, The World’s Water: 2002-2003 explores and proposes solutions to a variety of critical water issues including the global water crisis, global warming and water, the privatization and globalization of water, and and water-related conflicts.
Learn MorePublished: June 2002
This report explores how technologies developed to control the spread of weapons can be used to improve agreements over shared natural resources.
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Published: February 2002
In an increasingly globalized economy, the privatization of water as an economic good has sparked complex debate.
Learn MorePublished: January 2002
The Environmental Indicators Project is the culmination of two years of research, analysis, and collaboration between the grassroots advocacy group
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Published: January 2002
This report released by the Pacific Institute and the California Green Scissors project makes the case for changing the way pesticides are regulated in California.
Learn MorePublished: December 2001
New Zealand’s attempt to integrate environmental protection and resource management with a “goals-based” policy framework can help serve as a guide for California as it continues to grapple with resource scarcity.
Learn MorePublished: December 2001
The terror attacks of September 11 have brought the vulnerabilities of modern America into stunning relief. Our airports, airplanes and office buildings were far more open to attack then most imagined. And, according to many policy makers and scientists, so is our oil-based economy.
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Published: November 2001
As we move into the 21st century, water managers and policymakers must face new threats to the world's freshwater resources.
Learn MorePublished: October 2001
The proceedings of a recent workshop jointly hosted by the Pacific Institute and the Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI) are now available.
Learn MorePublished: October 2001
Recent discussions and legislative efforts at the state and federal level have again focused attention on the Salton Sea. These recent discussions, on the potential impacts on the Salton Sea of a proposed water transfer from Imperial Valley to the San Diego area, have highlighted the challenges faced by those working to address the current and future problems of the Sea, and the inadequacy of any temporary or piecemeal approach.
Learn MorePublished: September 2001
This report represents the first time comprehensive flow data was compiled for the entire Colorado River Delta region.
Published: September 2001
As the global population increases, the world’s existing resources -- water, energy, soil, and more -- are being consumed at an increasing rate.
Learn MorePublished: September 2000
The National Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Variability and Change was a groundbreaking attempt to evaluate the impacts of climate change on the United States.
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Published: June 2000
The second volume of The World’s Water contains new chapters on global water use projections, international river basins, the complex connections between water and food production, desalination, wastewater treatment and reuse, and the legal issues around a human right to water.
Learn MorePublished: May 2000
Brownfields are the abandoned or idled commercial and industrial properties that dot our urban and rural landscapes. They often remain unused because of real or perceived contamination, liability risks, and the costs of cleanup.
Learn MorePublished: May 2000
This document contains comments submitted by the Pacific Institute on the Salton Sea Restoration Project and on the January 2000 draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (DEIS) and supporting documents.
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Published: March 2000
Environmental policy is in transition. Many observers believe that the existing regulatory system, though it has accomplished great improvements in environmental quality, is approaching the limits of its effectiveness.
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Published: February 2000
At its upper reaches, the Delta is dominated by vegetation such as cottonwoods and willows, offering more than twice the amount of native riparian habitat found in the entire reach of the river in the United States from Hoover Dam to Morelos Dam.
Learn MorePublished: July 1999
On July 29, 1999, the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security hosted a half-day workshop entitled Security ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems and Public Policy.
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Published: July 1999
An understanding of basic human water needs is key to ensuring fair and sustainable water supply.
Published: February 1999
California's Salton Sea is a fertile oasis in the hostile desert of south-eastern California. It has been adopted by millions of birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway and also attracts human anglers and boaters
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Published: January 1999
More than a billion people in the developing world lack safe drinking water – an amenity those in the developed world take for granted.
Learn MorePublished: January 1999
The intense political and legal battles that have characterized California water policy throughout the 20th century have not ended—nor are they likely to end in the near future. But unexpectedly, with little fanfare or attention, California is moving toward more sustainable water management and use.
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Published: September 1998
The first volume of The World’s Water (1998-1999) includes chapters on the changing global paradigm for water management and use, the environmental implications of large dams, possible consequences of climate change, and the links between water resources and conflict.
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Published: November 1996
The Colorado River supplies water to nearly 30 million people and irrigates more than 1.5 million hectares of farmland in the United States and Mexico.
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Published: May 1995
Every day, California wastes water in each sector of the the state’s economy.
Learn MorePublished: June 1993
Fresh water is a fundamental resource, integral to all ecological and societal activities, including food and energy production, transportation, waste disposal, industrial development, and human health. Yet fresh water resources are unevenly and irregularly distributed, and some regions of the world are extremely water-short.
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Published: January 1993
The years 1987 to 1992 comprised the second driest period in California's recorded climate history.
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Published: January 1991
Since 1987, the State of California has been in the grip of a severe drought. water availability throughout the State has been far lower than normal for each of the last five years when measured in any of a variety of ways: total precipitation runoff, groundwater overdraft, or reservoir storage.
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Published: April 1990
Across the United States, coastal communities are grappling with crumbling infrastructure, flooded businesses, and overflowing sewers as a result of climate change-induced sea-level rise.
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