Workshop Overview

Water is essential for the balance of life on our planet. From human health, agriculture, and energy production to droughts, floods, and coastal erosion, water plays a central role human safety and progress and also presents critical risks to our ways of life. Water is also exceedingly at the intersection of climate change and its impacts on national security and geopolitical stability. As sea level rises, precipitation patterns shift, and water resources wane in unpredictable ways across the planet, there will be ripple effects in regional economic, health, and governance stability that must be understood to support US diplomatic and peace-keeping missions. Nations and communities will individually seek to adapt to and mitigate these effects of climate change. Understanding, interpreting, and anticipating the geographical impacts of extreme and altered weather, environmental, and human conditions will require a multidisciplinary approach that integrates science, technology, and policy to create a safe and secure future for humanity.

In this one-day Global Water Challenge workshop, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Alabama’s Global Water Security Center will convene thought leaders across government, national labs, academia, and industry to discuss the critical science, technology, and partnerships needed to anticipate and mitigate our impending global water security crisis. Speakers and panels will address future water resource availability, sea-level rise, water and human health, and human migration as a complex result of each of these impact areas.