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Dec 6 DCDC Water/Climate Briefing

Cotton, Condos, and Climate: Agriculture and Arizona’s Water Future

Irrigation CanalDecision-makers in Arizona are comforted by the idea that water can be diverted from farms to cities in the face of future water scarcity. The assumption has been that historic trends in farm retirement will continue into the future, releasing water for urban use. However, rapid changes in economic, environmental and policy conditions now challenge this assumption.

  • What current and possible future conditions divert water from farms to cities?
  • How are recent changes in the economy, policy and the environment affecting farmers’ and water managers’ decisions about water allocations?
  • Should Arizona rely on agriculture to fulfill a buffering role in the face of future water uncertainties?

A panel of agriculture and water resource practitioners and professionals will discuss these and other issues associated with agriculture, urban growth and Arizona’s future demand for water.

This DCDC Water/Climate briefing explores the climate-water-agriculture-nexus in Arizona. Over the coming year, academic researchers, farmers, water managers, and other stakeholders throughout Arizona will continue this work and will provide new insights into this critical challenge.

December 6, 2011 | 12:00-1:30pm | Lunch will be served

DCDC Conference Room

Please RSVP: estella.ohanlon@asu.edu

Panelists

  • Paco Ollerton, Cotton Grower
  • Jim Holway, Director, Western Lands and Communities, a Lincoln Institute of Land Policy-Sonoran Institute Joint Venture
  • Brian Betcher, Manager, Maricopa-Stanfield Irrigation and Drainage District, Pinal County
  • Joe Sigg, Director of Government Relations, Arizona Farm Bureau

Organizers

School of Sustainability graduate students from the workshop, “Adaptation, Resilience and Transformation.”

Professors

  • Rimjhim Aggarwal, Assistant Professor, School of Sustainability
  • Hallie Eakin, Associate Professor, School of Sustainability

RSVP

estella.ohanlon@asu.edu

Map and Parking

Decision Center for a Desert City
Global Institute of Sustainability
Arizona State University
21 East 6th Street, Suite 126B
Tempe, AZ 85281
(480) 965-3367
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