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1. Internet of Water Revisited: Building an Internet of Water

Author:
Lauren Patterson and Rapporteur
Publication Date:
07-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
The Internet of Water report, published in 2017, provided a series of findings and recommendations from the Aspen Institute Dialogue Series on Sharing and Integrating Water Data for Sustainability to address how to improve our nation’s water data infrastructure to better equip and enable sustainable water resource management. Since that report, the Nicholas Institute was tasked with beginning to implement an Internet of Water (IoW). As an initial step, the Aspen Institute convened a series of conversations across the United States to learn about current water data activities, discuss needs and expectations of different communities, identify and strengthen collaborations, and imagine how the Internet of Water could be best implemented for their region or sector. This addendum synthesizes the perspectives from each of the five regional roundtables which took place in California, the Great Lakes Region, the Midwest, Texas, and the Colorado River Basin. Notably, this addendum highlights the similarities and differences between regions – starting with the context for each roundtable and ending with an overall vision for building the Internet of Water. It was clear that sectors and regions are deeply interested in realizing the potential of their water data. Many were interested in the IoW providing a neutral convening and coordinating role to leverage ongoing activities and ensure the data infrastructure built will allow water data to flow seamlessly between sectors and regions.
Topic:
Water, Infrastructure, Internet, and Sustainability
Political Geography:
North America and United States of America

2. Reaching Watershed Scale Through Cooperation and Integration: A Report from the 2018 Aspen-Nicholas Water Forum

Author:
Aspen Institute
Publication Date:
11-2018
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
The annual Aspen-Nicholas Water Forum, a collaborative initiative between the Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Program and the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University, serves as a platform for addressing domestic water challenges in the 21st century. Each year, the forum gathers ~50 participants—including thought leaders from the private sector, government, academia, and non-governmental organizations— representing expertise in industry, finance, philanthropy, government, academia, agriculture, food and technology companies, investors and entrepreneurs. The 2018 Aspen-Nicholas Water Forum explored opportunities to change the scale of water management through regional integration.The scale of water challenges of the 21st century is regional and encompasses multiple jurisdictions — whether depletion of multi-state aquifers, basin-scale flooding, or the wide-spread accumulation of nutrients leading to large estuarine dead zones. Yet decisions, practices, and policies are predominantly made at the local scale and are often sector specific, creating mismatches between problems and policy. Regional scale problems often require regional scale solutions, so how do we reach scale?
Topic:
Environment, Water, Private Sector, and Public Service
Political Geography:
North America and United States of America

3. Data Intelligence for 21st Century Water Management: A Report from the 2015 Aspen-Nicholas Water Forum

Author:
Dave Grossman, Martin Doyle, and Nicole Buckley
Publication Date:
12-2015
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
The 2015 Aspen-Nicholas Water Forum, brings together each year a select group of water experts with diverse knowledge - from finance and policy to technology and ecosystems - to explore the future of our water system; the role of corporations and municipalities in managing water risk; and the innovations in, and convergence of, water policy, finance, and technology to identify potential game changers. The forum this year specifically focused on water and big data to understand how the emergence of large, but dispersed, amounts of data in the water sector can best be utilized to improve the management and delivery of water for a more sustainable future. Understanding what water data we have, how we collect it, and how to standardize and integrate it may well be a prerequisite to taking action to address a wide range of water challenges.
Topic:
Climate Change, Environment, Science and Technology, Natural Resources, Water, and Global Markets
Political Geography:
Global Focus

4. Report of the Ocean Community Strategy Roundtable

Author:
David Monsma
Publication Date:
06-2014
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
In 2013, the Aspen Institute published The Ocean Community Report, a study based on a 2012 roundtable discussion with oceans leaders at Fort Baker, California on the state of ocean conservation, as well as two research papers on marine protection advocacy, policy and management.
Topic:
Climate Change, Environment, Maritime Commerce, and Water
Political Geography:
California

5. Sustainable Water Systems: Step One - Redefining the Nation's Infrastructure Challenge

Author:
David Monsma, Regan Nelson, and Ray Bolger
Publication Date:
05-2009
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
During the past 150 years, a complex water infrastructure has been built throughout the U.S. to supply homes and businesses with clean water, collect and treat wastewater and manage stormwater – and an equally complex regulatory system has evolved alongside it. A generation of progress has been made under the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. However, serious challenges still exist for the nation's freshwater resources, including insufficient progress in achieving water quality goals, overuse of water resources, and looming challenges associated with global climate change, including droughts, heavy storm events and flooding. Meanwhile, water and wastewater utilities are struggling with aged infrastructure that requires upgrades or replacement. Control of urban storm water and rural runoff will require large new investments. Appropriate sources of funding and affordability of these investments also requires attention.
Topic:
Natural Resources, Water, and Infrastructure
Political Geography:
United States