Speaker
Maria T. Gibson
Hydrogeologist
Integrated Groundwater Resources
Maria is the founder of Integrated Groundwater Resources, a consulting firm dedicated to increasing sustainability through integrated methods such as Managed Aquifer Recharge. Maria also works on a variety of academic research assignments, which includes government agencies located in the state of Washington. She has a PhD in Water Resources Science and a certificate in Water Conflict Management and Transformation from Oregon State University. Maria also volunteers her time to help small, financially-limited communities develop water resiliency programs.
Description
A linear path to the prioritization and allocation of water can be difficult, especially when navigating through its economic, social, environmental, and regulatory constraints. Diverse backgrounds and different expectations of participants can also inhibit a group’s ability to reach direct consensus on project objectives. Here, we discuss the scientific decision-making processes and a robust yet straight forward route which distills group goals into a coordinated strategy. Utilizing geospatial analysis by accessing free, high- resolution remote sensing data also helps move a project from consensus to implementation, especially in data-poor regions and when budget constraints limit data gathering. A review of the benefits of utilizing open-source, free data and software for geospatial analysis will also be reviewed.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the history of mutil-criteria decision making and its use in water resources.
- Learn how to conduct a multi-criteria decision analysis using the Analytical Hierarchy Process.
- Learn how to access free GIS software and remote sensing data, plus understand its usefulness in water-related geospatial assessments, especially in regions where data is limited.
Webinar Recording & PDH Certificate
Included with your webinar registration is access to a recording of the program and a fillable certificate to self-report your Professional Development Hour (PDH) credit. Your PDH certificate will be available to download once you complete the registration process and receive your confirmation email. Access to the webinar recording is available on AWRA’s Webinar Center and in the email you’ll receive from “Facilitation Team" following the webinar.