Tackling the ‘Water Problem’: Challenges facing U.S. regulation, sustainability, and global geopolitics

Climate impacts on water are felt at every corner of the globe. From drought in California and a shrinking Colorado River to limited access to safe and clean drinking water in emerging economies, concerns about water are increasingly urgent. Addressing the water crisis facing the United States and other nations requires innovative, bipartisan ideas for how to alleviate water challenges, bolster resource security, and foster sustainable economic growth.

On March 28, the Cross-Brookings Initiative on Energy and Climate and the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, hosted a half-day conference on key issues in water policy. This event celebrated the launch of the new Brookings Press book “The Water Problem: Climate Change and Water Policy in the United States,” edited by UNLV/Brookings Senior Fellow Pat Mulroy.

Following an opening keynote conversation from former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, Mulroy moderated a panel discussion on domestic water infrastructure and regulatory reform. A second panel of experts analyzed issues facing global water security, economics, and geopolitics, including regional dynamics in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and China.