ITCA Event Addresses Climate and Water

Climate, drought, water, and health were key topics at the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA) event, "Impacts of Climate on Drought and Water Availability," held at UArizona on the 19th. This ITCA-sponsored educational meeting was funded with a grant from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and was conducted in collaboration with the UArizona Tribal Relations and the Southwest Environmental Health Science Center (SWEHSC). After the morning blessing, Assistant Vice President for UArizona Tribal Relations Karen Francis-Begay and SWEHSC Director Dr. Nathan Cherrington welcomed attendees, which included tribal members from throughout the state. WRRC Associate Director Claire Zucker provided the opening talk entitled "What is Water Availability - Within the Next 50 Years", which focused on groundwater distribution across Arizona and efforts underway to build resilience into water management. Other topics explored throughout the day included drought and health, tribal water, Hopi water issues, developing a tribal drought contingency plan, and tribal perspectives on the Arizona Drought Contingency Plan. The Community Outreach-Education Program at the UArizona Center for Toxicology was instrumental in coordinating the event.