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National Geographic ScienceBlogs: The Promise and Threat of Ethiopia’s Dam on the Nile: 21st century Water Conflicts

National Geographic ScienceBlogs: Syria, Water, Climate Change, and Violent Conflict

Gearing Up for Action: A Curriculum Guide for Freight Transport Justice

The Pacific Institute’s freight transport justice advocacy work sought to reduce the adverse health impacts of freight transportation on low-income neighborhoods of color closest to freight transport hubs, and to increase the share of the benefits that residents of these communities enjoy.

Huffington Post: The Most Important Day of the 21st Century

Preparándose para la Acción

Preparándose para la Acción: Una Guía Curricular para Lograr Justicia en el Transporte de Carga del Pacific Institute ha sido revisada siendo una importante herramienta de abogacía para construir el poder y la capacidad de comunidades para participar en la toma de decisiones en cuanto a temas del transporte de carga.

California Water Rates and the “New Normal”

California is facing new challenges to sustainable water management, particularly when it comes to water rate-setting.

California Coastal Areas and Infrastructure Vulnerable to Flooding and Erosion 

Downloadable PDF maps from our study that allow you to visualize the impacts of sea level rise on the California Coast.

An Overview of the “New Normal” and Water Rate Basics

In the context of what is referred to as “the new normal”-- increasing costs to provide safe and reliable water supply amidst decreasing demand -- water service providers are facing new challenges in forecasting rates and preparing for future water demand.

Can Business Help Achieve Water-Related Sustainable Development Goals In a Post-2015 World?

The answer is an emphatic, YES! In fact, given that the private sector accounts for the majority of global water use (when including both industrial water use and companies’ agriculture-based..

Desalination and Energy Use… Should We Pass the Salt?

Long considered the Holy Grail of water supply, desalination offers the potential of an unlimited source of fresh water purified from the vast oceans of salt water that surround us.

Dinámica del Agua Subterránea en el Tramo Limítrofe del Río Colorado

El Río Colorado, derivado y canalizado, así como intensivamente controlado, sólo en raras ocasiones (<10 por ciento de los días) lleva suficiente agua para fluir al menos 32 km más allá de la Presa Morelos, la última presa sobre el río, cerca de la frontera California/Arizona/Baja California.

Groundwater Dynamics in the Colorado River Limitrophe

The Colorado River, diverted and channelized and intensively managed, only rarely has enough water to flow even 20 miles past Morelos Dam, the last dam on the river, near the California/Arizona/Baja California border.

Testimony of Dr. Peter H. Gleick Before the California Assembly Select Committee on Sea Level Rise and the California Economy

This document provides the full testimony of Dr. Peter H. Gleick before the California Assembly Select Committee on Sea Level Rise and the California Economy. 

Heather Cooley: Energy and Water Choke Points the US and China Face

Water to Supply the Land: Irrigated Agriculture in the Colorado River Basin

Water is scarce in the Colorado River Basin, and the effects of climate change are straining the overspent water supply.

Key Issues in Seawater Desalination in California: Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

California’s water supply is vulnerable to seasonal extremes that are exacerbated by the effects of climate change. Seawater desalination is a reliable source of water, which can be especially valuable during a drought.

Community Resilience Fact Sheets Help Communities Prepare for Climate Change Impacts

As Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina have taught us, climate change is a global process with very localized impacts that can profoundly affect community health and quality of life. These localized impacts, ranging from extreme temperatures to rising sea levels, will disproportionately affect vulnerable populations such as the elderly, renters, low-income residents, limited English speakers, those with pre-existing medical conditions, and those without health or home insurance.

Climate Change Survivor Workbook with Games

Oakland residents can take steps to protect their communities in the face of climate change impacts.

National Geographic ScienceBlogs: Three Iconic Graphs Showing the Climate Fix We’re In

Here are three iconic graphs (unfortunately, there are many, many more) showing just some of the clear observational evidence that we’re changing the climate.

Cost Effectiveness of Water Conservation and Efficiency (CE2) Model

This model helps evaluate the economic desirability of water conservation and efficiency measures and explore how costs and benefits can be shared among customers, water utilities, and other entities. The model helps document the costs of starting and running a conservation program and estimate the associated water, energy, and financial savings.

A CE2 Model training webinar is available here.

California Urban Water Suppliers Water Use Map

This interactive online map helps users decode the wealth of information on water use in California. The features allow users to examine how water use varies within regions, across the state, and over time. Colored zones show a gradient of water use across the state, from green for lower per capita water use to bright red for the highest users. By clicking on each location, users can see graphs of per capita use over time and comparisons to the regional and state averages.

Jason Morrison speaks on Water Cooperation at UN General Assembly

Technical Assistance

The Pacific Institute lends its technical expertise through targeted assistance to organizations doing work consistent with our values and mission. Institute staff are leading professionals in diverse fields including engineering, environmental health, hydrology, economics, geography, and policy and planning.

Safe Return and Reintegration

The exponential expansion of the criminal justice system, its concentration in low-income communities of color, and the social stigma and legal exclusion that accompany it have made it one of the defining issues of this era. Through our partnerships with community-based organizations, the Pacific Institute has found that our participatory research processes and community capacity building have a powerful effect when adapted to work on these issues.

Planning for Environmental Health

Most city planners ascribe to the goal of fostering “healthy cities,” yet determining the best way to translate this vision into reality has posed a challenge given competing priorities like job creation, housing development, and access to transit.