Water security is the availability of acceptable quantity and quality of water for sustaining human health, economic welfare and the well-being of environmental and ecological systems while mitigating the associated risks and threats down to acceptable levels. For nations all around the globe, water security is of paramount concern since much of our economic well-being depends on the availability of fresh water. Currently, in the United States, many EPSCoR jurisdictions are confronting water security crises that are intensified by large-scale natural weather cycles and climate change effects. The objective of the Water Security Planning and Management workshop is to establish collaborative teams of investigators with sufficient scale and depth of expertise to catalyze water-security research capability across and among multiple EPSCoR jurisdictions. The workshop will help develop diverse multi-disciplinary research teams that will catalyze water research capability across and among multiple EPSCoR jurisdictions. These coordinated team efforts will provide professional development pathways to help train scientists in water-related STEM areas, particularly through the inclusion of underrepresented groups at minority institutions in several EPSCoR jurisdictions. Follow-up joint proposal development activities will generate additional opportunities for STEM training for underrepresented minorities across all EPSCoR jurisdictions.
The proposed workshop will advance scientific knowledge by providing a unique forum for a systematic expert discussion of multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary water security issues experienced by the EPSCoR states. The workshop sessions will be grouped under four focus areas: asset assessment, threat assessment, threat management, and human interactions. These areas will provide an interrogative framework for presentations, discussions, and brainstorming sessions conducive to develop transformative solutions. Workshop activities of the participating EPSCoR teams will focus on: a) development of scientific and engineering research programs to address water security management problems that threaten the economic well-being of the EPSCoR states; b) development of joint cyberinfrastructure research programs with an aim to construct intelligent water security networks that can facilitate water quantity and quality information flow within and between EPSCoR states; and c) development of partnership and outreach programs to collaborate with industries, academic institutions, and governmental organizations. The workshop outcomes will be summarized in a comprehensive project report. The report will also identify key water management problems that are relevant to EPSCoR states (especially in the Southeastern region), provide potential solutions, and develop a roadmap for addressing water security governance in economic, environmental, political and social dimensions.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
