Upcoming Conference Panels Aim to Bridge Borders
The WRRC 2025 Conference agenda offers a strong lineup of informative panels. For example, the first panel on the Day 1 agenda, Session 1: Frameworks for Collaboration Across Borders, will set the stage for later talks on US-Mexico border topics. Meena Westford, Director of Imported Water at San Diego County Water Authority will moderate a panel of International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) Commissioners. Commissioner Maria-Elena Giner will provide insight into operations of the US section, after which Commissioner Adriana Reséndez will report on operations in the Mexican section. These speakers will illuminate IBWC’s binational solutions to issues regarding ownership of waters, sanitation, water quality, and flood control in the border region.
On a related topic, Session 2: Sharing the Colorado River will be moderated by Arturo Gabaldón, President and General Manager of the Community Water Company of Green Valley, and will explore the history of the Colorado River and how it has evolved through collaborations over time. Professor Andrea Gerlak of the U of A School of Geography, Development and Environment will provide an introduction and overview of the history and operations of the Colorado River. Then, Carlos de la Parra, founding partner of Centro Luken de Estrategias en Agua y Medio Ambiente, will outline the evolution of collaboration between the US and Mexico regarding river water. Amelia Flores, Chairwoman of the Colorado River Indian Tribal Council, will discuss effective Tribal consultation, and Francisco Zamora, Senior Director of Programs at the Sonoran Institute, will discuss cross-border collaborations with NGOs.
With a program full of knowledgeable keynote speakers and panelists, the WRRC conference, Shared Borders, Shared Waters: Working Together in Times of Scarcity, promises to be a rich mine of information about the sharing of scarce waters across borders. Weekly Wave readers can expect future spotlights on other conference panels and keynote speakers.