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President Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Proposes Billions of Dollars in Water Investments

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

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announced the first components of his proposed $2 trillion national infrastructure plan to rebuild failing, aging, and outdated water, energy, transportation, and communications systems.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, 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

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.

The Texas Nexus: What the Absence of a US Water Strategy Looks Like

Understanding the California Water Futures Market

On World Water Day, Reflecting on the Value of Water  

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. 

Stormwater Could Become an Important Water Source- If We Stopped Ignoring It

Implications of California’s Water Futures Market 

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

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

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, 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

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.

Speaking of Water: Michael Cohen on the Salton Sea

Businesses Can (and Should) Help the World “Build Back Better” in the Era of COVID-19

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.

After Years of Delays, California Tries to Tamp Down Salton Sea Dust

The Texas Nexus: What the Absence of a US Water Strategy Looks Like

State Water Project Takes Aim at Restoring Salton Sea, Alleviating Health Risks

Gap Analysis for Funding Solutions for Human Right to Water and At-Risk Drinking Water Systems

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 

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 is Climate Change Already Impacting the Bay Area?

West Oakland Climate Hotspot: Rising Seas Threaten East Bay Coastline

California Now Has a Futures Market for Water. Some Farmers are Skeptical

Stormwater Could Become an Important Water Source – If We Stopped Ignoring It

California Now Has a Future Market for Water. Some Farmers Are Skeptical