The WRRC’s 2023 Annual Conference, held in mid-July, tackled this key question: What can we do to address Arizona’s water challenges? We developed the agenda differently in that we solicited abstracts for presentation. We did not want to presume we knew the solutions to be featured. Combining proposed solutions with some invited presentations resulted in a packed two-day agenda filled with a variety of speakers and solutions.
As I sit looking at the Pacific Ocean during my annual escape from Tucson’s summer heat, the role of seawater desalination in meeting water demands comes to mind. Particularly in freshwater-scarce regions like Israel and United Arab Emirates, desalinated seawater is critical to meeting water needs. Though mentioned at the conference, discussion of how seawater might fit into Arizona’s solution set was limited. Perhaps this should not be surprising. After all, Arizona does not border a sea or ocean. And seawater desalination is only one of many options. Over the two days of robust presentations and discussions, it was apparent that many solutions to addressing the numerous challenges must be pursued simultaneously. There is no single solution.
Images: Clayton B. Lyon