Weekly Wave - Wicked Water Problems Addressed in WRRC Webinar

Director Sharon B. Megdal returned from her sabbatical to present Wednesday's WRRC Brown Bag Webinar, Developing Pathways to Solutions to Wicked Water Problems. Megdal's sabbatical speaking tour: a worldwide series of lectures focused on water policy and management, was unfortunately cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The presentation began with an illuminating discussion of the contextual background as important determinants of water policy and management. These complex water management issues, often intertwined with their solutions, are what define wicked water problems: problems that seemingly defy standard solutions. Among the characteristics of wicked water problems mentioned in the presentation, Megdal highlighted the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to manage uncertainty, create resilience, and forge pathways to mitigating the challenges. Megdal's broad expertise was evident in the presentation which covered wicked water problems in the Colorado River Basin including Tribal water issues, trans-border groundwater management between the U.S. and Mexico, and conditions on the Lower Jordan River and the Dead Sea.