Weekly Wave: International Panel Showcases Managed Aquifer Recharge

On Monday, March 22, the WRRC celebrated World Water Day with a webinar featuring the North American case studies included in the forthcoming UNESCO volume, Managing Aquifer Recharge: A Showcase for Resilience and Sustainability. In an excellent introductory presentation, Dr. Yan Zheng, lead editor of the volume, provided an overview of four lessons learned through analyzing the 28 MAR case studies, including the importance of supportive regulatory and permitting processes and improved community engagement efforts for the sustainability of . Authors of the five North American case studies, among the 28 included in the book, presented their work. Arizona’s case study on the Arizona Water Banking Authority was presented by Ken Seasholes of the Central Arizona Project. This chapter, which was co-authored by WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal, who also moderated the panel, was unique in that it focused on an institution rather than a physical project. After the presentations of case studies from South Carolina, the Platte River watershed, California, and Sonora (MX) and comments by book co-editor Peter Dillon, a wide-ranging discussion shaped by questions from the engaged audience ensued. In addition to posting the recording and slides of the webinar, the WRRC will alert readers of the publication of this open-access book, which is expected in the not-too-distant future.