Beyond the Surface of Water: A discussion on Environmental Injustices, Decline in Fresh Water Availability, and Increasing Public Awareness

The Water Leadership Institute (WLI) developed a four-part webcast series on The Intersection of Leadership and Communication of 12 Water Challenges.

Webcast 3:  Beyond the Surface of Water: A discussion on Environmental Injustices, Decline in Fresh Water Availability, and Increasing Public Awareness

• Is the Glass Half-Full or Almost Empty: Addressing Freshwater Availability Communication and Leadership Perspectives
• Tapping into Water Justice:Tapping into Water Justice: Strategies for pursuing environmental justice in agency decision-making.
• Educational and Public Awareness

Registration Free of Cost

For questions, please email WLI@wef.org 

You can earn 1.5 General Contact Hours by attending this webcast or watching the recording in the WEF Learning Center after the live date.  

Learn more about all the Webcasts in the WLI Intersection of Leadership and Communication of 12 Water Challenges Webcast Series at www.wef.org/WLI24WaterChallenges

• 2:00 p.m. ET Is the Glass Half-Full or Almost Empty: Addressing Freshwater Availability Communication and Leadership Perspectives
  

        Water is essential for life, yet it has often been treated as an undervalued resource. The decline of freshwater availability is a critical global issue impacting hundreds of millions of people, ecosystems, and economies. Key factors contributing to this decline include climate change, water pollution, increased demand due to population growth, and insufficient investment in aging water infrastructures. The lack of fresh water could have severe consequences for human health, livelihoods, biodiversity, and the global economy.
  
  Despite the strong case for investing in water security, it rarely translates into a compelling business case. A roundtable meeting of the world’s top visionary political leaders could catalyze stakeholder engagement. Addressing the issue of freshwater availability requires comprehensive and collaborative efforts. Visionary leadership and effective communication are vital for investing in and implementing sustainable water management practices, technological innovation, and raising public awareness.
  
  Mitigating water scarcity involves fostering global cooperation and engaging all stakeholders. Best management practices include the safe reuse of reclaimed water, water conservation, cloud seeding, appropriate analytical tools, science-based regulation, and transparent and inclusive communication with stakeholders. Today’s proactive action will change the resilience of societies and ecosystems with great hope for the future. Ensuring the availability of fresh water for future generations is our prime responsibility.
  
  Developed and Delivered by: Angela Maria Fasnacht, Princeton University; Joy Ramirez, Enhanced Source Control Solutions; Oyinkansola Familoni; Victoria Weitekamp, WEF; Bipin Pathak, DC Water; Aaron Weatherspoon, Alexandria Renew; and Shannon Breaux, City of La Marque
  Team Mentor: Sara Sepulveres, Carollo
  
  2:30 p.m. ET Tapping into Water Justice:Tapping into Water Justice: Strategies for pursuing environmental justice in agency decision-making
  Join us for a compelling webcast titled "Tapping into Water Justice: Strategies for Pursuing Environmental Justice in Agency Decision-Making." In this session, we'll explore key leadership and communication lessons drawn from historical case studies around the United States These case studies underscore how systemic issues have disproportionately affected underserved communities and highlight the critical need for informed and inclusive leadership in environmental decision-making.
  
  We will discuss actionable strategies for enhancing public involvement in agency processes. Additionally, we'll examine how cities across the U.S. are implementing equitable utility cost strategies to address affordability and access disparities. The webcast will also spotlight significant federal and state funding opportunities, that support community-focused environmental justice efforts.
  
  This webcast is vital for leaders and advocates in the water industry seeking to implement best practices and advance equitable water policies. Join us to gain insights into effective leadership and communication strategies that promote environmental justice and community resilience.
  
  Developed and Delivered by: Nadia Mugisha, Jacobs; Russell Lewis, City of Grand Rapids; Patrick Dube, Isle Utilities; Ramya Sankar, City of San Leandro; Kyle Stephens, City of Portland; Shannon Harney, South Platte Renew; and Loren Haug, Stantec Consulting
  Team Mentor: Beth Blair, Black & Veatch
  
  3:00 p.m. ET  Educational and Public Awareness
  From children to adults, the public is unfamiliar with water and wastewater utility processes. Disinformation and the complexity of water and wastewater treatment processes can exacerbate the issue of effective communication. A proactive approach to water communication and education for the public is critically important for utilities and their industry partners.  This webinar will focus on tactics and suggestions to help local water and wastewater utilities build public knowledge, create trust, and network with other utilities to strengthen local programs. 
  
  Water issues can be complex, but the messaging around them doesn’t have to be. Utilities should build public knowledge through proactive outreach which includes facility tours, participation in community events, and multiple forms of outreach – meeting people where they are. Messaging should be targeted for intended audiences, with local examples and information, whether school children or ratepayers.
  
  Utilities need to have multi-tiered outreach programs that utilize social media, local news media, and traditional methods like signage and fliers. There is importance in employing varied methods of communication across utilities, diverse in size and geographical regions of the United States.
  
  We will provide examples of outreach from utilities that can be easily implemented by others. We’ll also dive into the importance of early communication, educating the public about the importance of water and wastewater utilities before there is an issue or rate change. We’ll also make a case for taking the time to network with other communication personnel at nearby utilities to support joint goals and outreach. The goal of this portion is to have water industry practitioners walk away with concrete suggestions they can implement to improve their public awareness.
  
  Developed and Delivered by: Michael Piller, Johnson County Wastewater ; Jeremy Frost, Charlotte County Utilities;  Julie Kauffman, Water For People ; Alexandra Szewczyk, Veolia WTS; Francisco Haces-Garcia, University of Houston; Jenna Beairsto, Eagle River Water and Sanitation District; and Jessica Green, Orange County Utilities
  Team Mentor: Benn Sherman, Town of Uxbridge

This series was developed as part of the final project for the Water Leadership Institute (WLI) 2024 and will take place throughout August 2024.  The WLI 2024 consists of 84 participants from around the US, Canada, and Ghana.