“Learning lessons from managing drought: Adaptation in an interconnected, uncertain world” – Lisa Dilling, Director, NOAA Western Water Assessment; Professor of Environmental Studies, University of Colorado

Abstract

Cities in the U.S. have been adapting to drought for many years, implementing a combination of mechanisms to cope with climate and water variability and increasing population. These experiences provide a wealth of data on how communities navigate water scarcity in different contexts. Furthermore, these data allow us to examine potential opportunities and challenges for managing future water risks under uncertainty and climate change.

Bio

Lisa Dilling is Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, a Fellow of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and a member of the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is Director of the Western Water Assessment, a NOAA Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessment project that studies and facilitates the use of climate information in decision making in the Intermountain West. Her scholarship focuses on decision making, the use of information and science policy. Her research topics include drought and urban water management, climate adaptation in cities and on public lands, carbon management, and geoengineering governance.