Groundwater governance and management research: Connecting researchers and practitioners

There is global interest in identifying good water governance and management practices.  Global organizations such as UNESCO and OECD have undertaken significant efforts in order to identify "best characteristics" of (ground)water governance and management approaches. Characterizing "best practices" is a bit more difficult due to the localized nature or groundwater resources. The presentation will include an overview of findings from studies of groundwater governance and management conducted by the speaker. These studies include two surveys of state-level experts in the United States, a case study of three growing areas in the sunbelt of the United States, and work on groundwater assessments at the United States- Mexico border. The presentation will highlight some of the challenges associated with analysis of groundwater governance and management where authorities are decentralized and governance practices are evolving.  

Speaker Bio

Sharon Megdal is Director of The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC), a research and Extension unit in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Her work focuses on water policy and management, on which she writes and frequently speaks.  She also holds the titles: Professor and Specialist, Department Soil, Water, and Environmental Science; C.W. & Modene Neely Endowed Professor; and Distinguished Outreach Professor. She serves as Director of the University of Arizona Water, Environmental and Energy Solutions Program, which is funded by the University of Arizona Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF).

The geographic scope of Dr. Megdal’s work ranges from local to international.  Current projects include: comparative evaluation of water management, policy, and governance in growing, water-scarce regions; groundwater management and governance; groundwater recharge; and transboundary aquifer assessment. She is the lead editor of the book, Shared Borders, Shared Waters: Israeli-Palestinian and Colorado River Basin Water Challenges.  She also has served as lead guest editor for multiple special issues of the journal Water.