Contribute to an Open-Source Geo-Database on the State of Public Water Management in the US and Mexico

facility-level public water management

The project partners – World Resources Institute (WRI) and Pacific Institute as the secretariat of the CEO Water Mandate – are collecting facility-level public water management data for two reasons. One, organizations outside of public utilities (e.g., companies) may have a strong understanding of biophysical risks but lack comprehensive information such as tools on the capacity of public institutions to manage water resources and respond to shared water challenges. Two, public water management data is complex and hard to measure, but without it, decision-makers struggle to identify and prioritize effective solutions to water risk. Companies and other organizations know the public water management locally where they operate and by sharing that local knowledge, it is easier to understand and address water risk for all stakeholders.

The objective of this project is gathering data on the state of public water management by industrial facilities starting in the US and Northern Mexico to develop an open-source geo-database hosted by WRI, similar to the WRI Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas. The online survey was first pilot tested with facilities from six companies, and after validation with local stakeholders, the results from the surveys reflect the state of public water management at the local level. See publication.

Although the survey was designed with private industrial water users in mind, any organization besides public water utilities can fill this out. We would be keen for you to participate in the project by helping to distribute an online survey to your facilities or on-the-ground organizations in the US and Northern Mexico and get it back between January and March 2020. The average response time is 20 minutes per facility or on-the-ground organization and the survey will be anonymous and aggregated.

The value for participating is:

  • New information. Gain a better understanding of water governance and policy-related challenges that you are exposed to.
  • Public recognition. Contribute to generating publicly available information on the state of public water management where they operate and/or source from.
  • Impact. Help catalyze collective action and private-public sector collaboration by providing a strong evidence-based summary of what aspects of public water management need to be improved most urgently across the US and Northern Mexico in order to meet the needs and secure water supply.

If you have questions or would like to participate, please contact Tien Shiao at tshiao@pacinst.org.

 

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Tien Shiao, Pacific Institute
Tien Shiao joined the Pacific Institute in 2016 as a senior researcher. She has ten years of experience in corporate sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and water risk and stewardship. Tien’s work focuses on innovative solutions for corporate water challenges, encompassing corporate disclosure frameworks and impact metrics. She also works on the CEO Water Mandate’s Water Stewardship Toolbox as a way to scale up best practice on water stewardship around the world. Tien received a B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. She is fluent in English and Mandarin.