UCOWR Conference

June 18, 2014

Global Water Challenges

Through the Conservation Lens

Nonconventional Partnerships

Challenge: Manage water in a way that

meets global demand for food production,

strives to achieve access to water and

sanitation for all, provides sufficient energy, supports

robust economies and sustains healthy

freshwater ecosystems.

By 2030, global demand for water could outstrip

current accessible, reliable supply by 40%

Billion m3, 154 basins/regions

4 Source: Water Resources Group; based on IFPRI data

Existing

accessible,

reliable

supply

Agriculture

Industry

Municipal &

domestic

Existing withdrawals 2030 additional withdrawals

Basins

with

deficit

40

%

4,200

3,100

800

600

1,400

700

300

2,700

100

Basins

with

surplus

?

Environmental

needs

While only 15% of basins are water-scarce, these

basins contain 50% of cities over 100,000 people

Laowai blog 2011

Shutterstock

China Daily / Reuters

dornob

NASA

Social, Political & Economic Challenges

• Water and

sanitation access

• Governance

• Transboundary

waters

U.N. Water

Nile River

The Nature Conservancy

The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

TNC Freshwater Strategies

• Protection and restoration

• Agricultural best management practices

• Hydropower by design

• Environmental flows

• Water funds

• Water markets

92%

2/3 in Corporate Supply Chains

Silver Creek, Idaho

Basic Water Fund Model

Water Users Watershed keepers $$

Use and growth Quality Watershed CLEAN, AMPLE

WATER

Agriculture BMPs & Water

Nature

Setting the Decision

Point Desired “Sustainable”

Condition

Current Condition

Defining OUTCOMES – Setting

Sustainable Agricultural Watershed Goals

Tools/Calculator

$ Cost

Wedge of Solutions

Lessons to Note

• Think big but start small

• Don’t re-invent the wheel.. but remember local conditions require locally relevant solutions

• Collaborative solutions exist in the overlap of objectives

• Complex understanding, simple communication

• Monitor, evaluate and adjust

Kari Vigerstol, P.E.

kvigerstol@tnc.org