What do we know about water? Quite a lot, as you may not be surprised to hear, especially in this community.
President's Message | May/June 2024
What do we know about water? Quite a lot, as you may not be surprised to hear, especially in this community. Still our collective knowledge must continue to grow. To stay ahead of future challenges, we are always anticipating the questions that we need to answer to be prepared.
In this issue of Water Resources IMPACT, we hear from experts whose work challenges old paradigms and offers informed paths forward. These paths include gathering data that will more accurately show us the shape of our rivers, getting specific about ecological impacts through hyperlocal studies, and pinpointing the source of water contaminants. Other contributors explore the effects of past events, such as coastal storms that have had major impacts
farther inland and decision-making across state lines that has affected bodies of water large and small, from the Great Lakes to aquifers. And as we learn, some of our longstanding approaches to water resources management are simply not cutting it, such as damming rivers and endlessly pumping groundwater.
Our authors offer alternative approaches that will no doubt become essential in the age of climate change. Many of these authors also presented at AWRA’s recent Geospatial Water Technology Conference in Orlando, Florida. As ever, I am inspired to see the latest technologies that will help us better understand and visualize our past, present, and future water resources. And I look forward to continuing to share learnings that help us fill the inevitable gaps in our collective knowledge. What do you still want to know about water?
Rabia Ahmed is the 2024-2025 president of AWRA.