Publications

59 Resources


Pacific Institute 2022 Impact Report

September 11, 2023 | publication


Reflecting on our 35th year, the Pacific Institute continued its dedication to addressing pressing water issues through rigorous, science-based research and policy analysis. In the face of environmental and geopolitical crises, including extreme droughts, increasing water scarcity, and unprecedented flooding events, our mission became even more vital. Highlights of the year included the launch of numerous research reports & tools, lauding a US$250 million commitment for both the Colorado River Basin and the Salton Sea, and the initiation of a national Water and Climate Equity strategy. Our global impact was underscored by our significant participation in events such as the Stockholm World Water Week, the World Economic Forum annual meeting, and COP27. With the CEO Water Mandate welcoming 38 new endorsing companies, we continued to amplify corporate water stewardship when it's needed the most.

Left Out in Drought: California Fish

September 7, 2022 | publication


More than 97% of California is now experiencing severe drought. While California is known for extreme hydrologic variability, climate change has increased the severity and frequency of droughts significantly intensifying the crisis many fish species face.

Presentation: The Untapped Potential of California’s Urban Water Supply

April 18, 2022 | publication


In this presentation, Pacific Institute experts provided a deep dive into the untapped potential of California's alternative water supplies: urban water efficiency, water reuse, and stormwater capture...

The Untapped Potential of California’s Urban Water Supply: Water Efficiency, Water Reuse, and Stormwater Capture

April 12, 2022 | publication


Persistent challenges and severe drought have shone a spotlight on the vulnerability of California’s water systems. They also offer an opportunity to rethink the state’s water supplies and strategies for the 21st century and beyond. 

Op-Ed: Does the Bay Area Have the Water It Needs to Grow?

October 29, 2021 | publication


It seems as though the two things the Bay Area has the least of are housing and water. The region has a shortfall of 699,000 housing units, which has driven housing costs to astronomical heights, and pushed 35,000 of our neighbors into temporary housing or onto the streets. Our colleagues at San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR),a public policy think tank, have found that the region needs to build an astonishing 2.2 million homes by 2070 to meet future demand and make up for the present shortfall.

Water Resilience

October 29, 2021 | publication


The world is facing a global water crisis marked by growing competition for freshwater resources, rapidly deteriorating water quality, poor and declining ecosystem health, unprecedented biodiversity loss, and a failure to meet basic water and sanitation needs.

Freshwater Scarcity

October 24, 2021 | publication


The availability and use of fresh water are critical for human health and for economic and ecosystem stability. But the growing mismatch between human demands and natural freshwater availability is contributing to water scarcity, affecting industrial and agricultural production and a wide range of social, economic, and political problems, including poverty, deterioration of ecosystem health, and violent conflicts.

Water for a Growing Bay Area: How the Region Can Grow Without Increasing Water Demand

October 21, 2021 | publication


The San Francisco Bay Area is projected to add two million jobs by 2070, attracting millions more people. To prevent housing from becoming even more unaffordable, the region needs to build 2.2 million new housing units.

Testimony on Colorado River Drought Conditions and Response Measures to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife

October 20, 2021 | publication


Pacific Institute Senior Researcher Michael Cohen submitted written testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife for their October 20, 2021 hearing on drought conditions in the Colorado River Basin and potential response measures.

Op-Ed: Dying from the Heat

July 2, 2021 | publication


No one wants to be a statistic in a climate disaster—an anonymous entry in a dataset of extreme events. But sometimes things sneak up on you. A couple of weeks ago, during one of the extraordinary and severe heat events striking western North America, I almost suffered from heat stroke.

At Risk: Public Supply Well Vulnerability Under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act

June 21, 2021 | publication


Community water systems in California’s San Joaquin Valley face a host of challenges that threaten the safety and reliability of drinking water, including pollution, periodic drought, and chronic groundwater overdraft. Moreover, shallow wells, some of which serve community water systems, are vulnerable to short-term and chronic declines in groundwater levels. For example, during the 2012-2016 drought, many domestic wells and some public supply wells went dry. 

Op-Ed: Yes, California is in a Drought — Even if Officials Aren’t Saying it out Loud

April 16, 2021 | publication


California is suffering from severe drought again. This winter produced water conditions far below normal for the second year in a row, the eighth year in the last 10, the 14th year in the last 20. Los Angeles has had 39% of normal precipitation; San Diego, only 30%; San Francisco, 37%; Sacramento, less than 40%.

Op-Ed: The Future Has Arrived. These Explosive Fires Are Our Climate Change Wakeup Call

September 14, 2020 | publication


Like millions of people in the western United States this week, I woke up to deep red, sunless skies, layers of ash coating the streets, gardens, and cars, and the smell of burning forests, lives, homes, and dreams. Not to be too hyperbolic, but on top of the political chaos, the economic collapse, and the worst pandemic in modern times, it seemed more than a little apocalyptic.

Ending Conflicts Over Water: Solutions to Water and Security Challenges

September 2, 2020 | publication


Water-related conflict and political instability are on the rise across the globe. But while intensifying water challenges and the threats they pose to security are well documented, relatively few solutions have been presented. This report fills the gap by exploring several dozen strategies to reduce water-related conflicts in key water-insecure hotspots around the world.

An Assessment of Urban Water Demand Forecasts in California

August 5, 2020 | publication


In California, urban per capita water demand has declined dramatically over the past several decades, driven in part by greater uptake of water-efficient devices.

Page 1 of 4
  • Reset

From the Blog

Scroll to Top