As we dive into 2024, I’m looking forward to AWRA’s many programs and initiatives. In these pages, we get a taste of two...
President's Message | January/February 2024
As we dive into 2024, I’m looking forward to AWRA’s many programs and initiatives. In these pages, we get a taste of two big ones—the Geospatial Water Technology Conference in Orlando and the Spring Conference in Tuscaloosa. We hear from committee members and presenters, and their passion for this work is infectious. From research projects to frameworks and implementation plans, this issue is full of exciting developments in the field of water resources management.
Furthermore, as you’ll see when you browse through this issue, these professionals are calling for more than just research and studies. Overwhelmingly, these are action oriented articles, calling for strong science that can be put to use immediately. Even when our authors look back (as far as the Gold Rush!), they also look forward to what comes next to plan for safety and security. They also explore how great an impact effective planning can have, as in the decades-long work to restore the flow, and thereby the ecosystem, of the Florida Everglades.
Many of these pieces point to novel viewpoints and innovations, such as the primacy of agriculture for mitigating natural disasters or the latest real-time maps for flood inundation. Plus, the conference previews highlight another cutting-edge advancement—the next generation of students and water resources practitioners. All told, the programs presented here touch many thousands of people who are working tirelessly on the future of water.
We can’t wait to see you in Orlando and Tuscaloosa. Whether you have plans to attend these conferences, need to skip them, or are still deciding, I hope these articles will tempt you to learn more about the big ideas and just as big actions percolating in our community of environmental professionals, practitioners, and students.
Rabia Ahmed is the 2024 president of AWRA.