David Sedlak, a professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, will join the Notre Dame community to discuss how population growth, economic development, and climate change are causing water crises worldwide. Increasingly, the effects of climate change are placing additional stress on water systems. As a result, water systems are undergoing a transformation. A key insight into this process is that crisis drives change. Considering the institutions that manage water, it is evident that six interlinked water crises bring about change. These crises can have profound impacts on human health, economic development, the food supply, and ecosystems. By understanding the institutions responsible for water management, the technologies that can be deployed to improve water systems, and the ways that innovative solutions have already been achieved, a Just Transformation that taps into innovation, cooperation, and empathy on the quest for sustainable water systems can become a reality.
Professor Sedlak's research addresses the development of new approaches for using engineered and natural systems to improve water quality. He is Director of the Berkeley Water Center and author of Water 4.0 and Water for All.
Notre Dame Seminars on Sustainability Series is a signature lecture series organized by the Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative that brings global sustainability leaders and world-class scholars to campus for knowledge sharing and engagement with the Notre Dame community.
Originally published at sustainabilityinitiative.nd.edu.