1053 Resources
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%.
April 2021 Newsletter
April 14, 2021 | announcement
The monthly newsletter features the Pacific Institute’s research, publications, news about past and upcoming Institute staff outreach efforts, and media coverage of its work and analysis.
California Water System Assessment Will Inform Upcoming Funding Priorities
April 9, 2021 | announcement
April 9, 2021, Sacramento, California -- The State Water Resources Control Board announced today the completion of its first-ever comprehensive look at California water systems that are struggling to provide safe drinking water to communities and how to help them. The Pacific Institute contributed to the Gap Analysis and Appendix D. With criteria for the state’s Human Right to Water list recently expanded, the assessment identifies both failing water systems and those at risk of failing, offering the most in depth view of long-term drinking water safety the state has ever had.
President Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Proposes Billions of Dollars in Water Investments
April 1, 2021 | announcement
April 1, 2021, Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, President Joe Biden introduced The American Jobs Plan, a $2 trillion proposed infrastructure investment plan for the United States. The plan, framed as a jobs investment and post-pandemic rebuilding strategy, calls for spending on water, energy, transportation, and communications infrastructure, as well as research and development.
Biden Infrastructure Plan: Water Components
March 31, 2021 | post
Earlier today, President Biden announced the first components of his proposed $2 trillion national infrastructure plan to rebuild failing, aging, and outdated water, energy, transportation, and communications systems. While the current information provides only the broadest outlines of his proposals, and the details will have to be worked out in specific legislation to be debated in Congress, it is clearly the most ambitious plan to have been put forward in many years.
Analysis Examines Gaps in Funding Solutions for Human Right to Water and At-Risk Drinking Water Systems in California
March 30, 2021 | announcement
March 30, 2021, Oakland, California -- The California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) recently released Gap Analysis for Funding Solutions for Human Right to Water and At-Risk Drinking Water Systems. The white paper provides an overview of the methodology for an upcoming study that will analyze the gap between the funding needs and available funding sources for the Human Right to Water in California, as well as at-risk water systems and domestic wells across the state. The Pacific Institute is currently undertaking this analysis.
March 2021 Newsletter
March 25, 2021 | announcement
The monthly newsletter features the Pacific Institute’s research, publications, news about past and upcoming Institute staff outreach efforts, and media coverage of its work and analysis.
On World Water Day, Reflecting on the Value of Water
March 16, 2021 | post
Water is one of the most valuable resources on the planet — we need it to survive, to stay clean and healthy, to grow food, to run businesses, to support ecosystems, and so much more.
Implications of California’s Water Futures Market
March 9, 2021 | post
In California’s Water Futures Market: Explained, Cora Kammeyer describes how futures markets operate generally and the particulars of California’s version. This new water futures market has attracted considerable attention and hyperbole. Here we explore the potential implications of this novel financial tool through the lens of California water supply reliability.
February 2021 Newsletter
March 8, 2021 | announcement
The monthly newsletter features the Pacific Institute’s research, publications, news about past and upcoming Institute staff outreach efforts, and media coverage of its work and analysis.
How to Identify and Account for the Benefits of Nature-Based Solutions for Watersheds
March 5, 2021 | video
This webinar was the first in a three-part series and aimed to inform those looking to invest in NBS on how to identify and account for the NBS benefits accrued.
New Guide on Benefit Accounting of Nature-Based Solutions for Watersheds
March 4, 2021 | announcement
March 4, 2021, Oakland, California -- A new guide published by the Pacific Institute and partners provides guidance on how to account for the benefits of nature-based solutions. Benefit Accounting of Nature-Based Solution for Watersheds: Guide helps readers identify and account for the stacked combined water, carbon, and biodiversity benefits provided by these solutions, as well as additional socio-economic benefits accrued.
Benefit Accounting of Nature-Based Solutions for Watersheds: Guide
March 4, 2021 | publication
Nature-based solutions use or mimic natural processes to meet societal and environmental needs. They can be used to restore, manage, or protect water resources while also increasing biodiversity and providing additional social and economic benefits. Yet there is no standardized method to identify, estimate, and monitor the benefits that nature-based solutions can provide, making it hard to build the case for investments in these solutions.
Businesses Can (and Should) Help the World “Build Back Better” in the Era of COVID-19
March 3, 2021 | post
What does it mean to “build back better” as the global economy seeks to recover from the shock of COVID-19? The international environmental community has proposed a “green” global recovery that prioritizes reducing greenhouse gas emissions as governments work to create jobs and stimulate economic growth.
Gap Analysis for Funding Solutions for Human Right to Water and At-Risk Drinking Water Systems
February 25, 2021 | publication
In 2012, California’s Human Right to Water was passed, calling for safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water for all citizens. Then in 2016, the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) adopted a Human Right to Water Resolution, making the Human Right to Water a primary consideration and priority across its programs.
California’s Water Futures Market: Explained
February 24, 2021 | post
A recently launched water futures market in California drew global attention, from Wall Street to the United Nations. While news of the market has brought both skepticism and speculation, much of the coverage has failed to address the fundamental question: what actually is a water futures market?
How Businesses Can Help Build a Water-Resilient Society that Can Bounce Back from Major Societal Disruptions
February 2, 2021 | announcement
February 2, 2021, Oakland, California -- Today the Pacific Institute released a brief outlining the role of the business sector in a robust COVID-19 response. Rebuilding and Resilience: Phases 2 and 3 is the second and final installment of the Pacific Institute’s Water and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Business Framework for Water and COVID-19 series of briefs.
Water and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Business Framework for Water and COVID-19: Rebuilding and Resilience
February 2, 2021 | publication
The business community has a key role to play in responding to COVID-19, rebuilding the economy, and preventing and mitigating future shock events — both broadly speaking and specifically regarding water and handwashing. This second in the Pacific Institute’s Business Framework for Water and the COVID-19 Pandemic issue brief series continues to explore the role of businesses in a robust COVID-19 response, outlining how businesses can contribute to a “blue” economic recovery and help make society more resilient to future shocks.
January 2021 Newsletter
February 1, 2021 | announcement
The monthly newsletter features the Pacific Institute’s research, publications, news about past and upcoming Institute staff outreach efforts, and media coverage of its work and analysis.
Water Management Put Into Practice by Business Leaders (CEO Water Mandate – Water Action Hub)
January 29, 2021 | video
The Global Compact Local Networks from the Latin America region joined to highlight the importance of the CEO Water Mandate and the Water Action Hub.
What Role Should Onsite Water Reuse Play in Silicon Valley Water?
January 28, 2021 | post
Water systems in most large urban areas like California’s Silicon Valley are linear and highly centralized. Water is cleaned at a central treatment plant, distributed to homes and businesses through a vast and decades-old system of pipes, used once, and then returned through another set of pipes to a wastewater treatment plant, before being discharged into a nearby waterway like the San Francisco Bay.
New Report Explores Benefits and Challenges of Onsite Water Systems
January 28, 2021 | announcement
January 28, 2021, Oakland, California -- A new report from the Pacific Institute examines the opportunity for onsite water systems in California’s Silicon Valley to improve water resilience. The Role of Onsite Water Systems in Advancing Water Resilience in Silicon Valley finds that onsite and centralized systems can work effectively together when onsite systems are deliberately sited and integrated into the broader water network.
The Role of Onsite Water Systems in Advancing Water Resilience in Silicon Valley
January 28, 2021 | publication
California’s Silicon Valley faces a host of water challenges. The region’s water and wastewater infrastructure are aging, and in some cases are nearing the end of useful life. Continued growth and development are putting additional strains on the region, and climate change is adding to that burden through sea level rise, more intense storms, and more severe droughts. These challenges present risks but also an opportunity to rethink the design, configuration, and operation of water and wastewater systems.
The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Continued Toll on Drinking Water Systems and Their Customers
January 22, 2021 | post
Water systems across the country are facing budget shortfalls as a result of the pandemic and need assistance. For small water systems (systems serving 10,000 people or fewer) total budget shortfalls are estimated to be $4 to 6 billion, primarily caused by decreased demand, delayed payments, and additional costs for protective equipment and sick time.
State Habitat Restoration Project Breaks Ground at Southern End of Salton Sea
January 13, 2021 | announcement
January 13, 2020, Oakland, California -- The California Salton Sea Management Program began construction this week on a project to restore bird and fish habitat at the southern end of the Salton Sea. The Species Conservation Habitat Project (SCH) will reduce wind-borne dust pollution on nearly 4,000 acres to the east and west of the New River delta, lessening dangerous dust pollution affecting nearby communities, while also creating habitat for birds and serving as a water-management pond for future projects in the area.
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