Water and climate scientists from around the nation and world will gather at Colorado State University next week to review today’s greatest challenges in water resources management, and to craft recommendations on addressing those challenges.

CSU’s College of Engineering[1], CSU’s Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere[2] (CIRA), and Riverside Technology, Inc[3]., are partnering to host the 2016 Global Water and Climate Initiative. The two-day event (June 13-14) will bring together leaders from a global community of water and climate scientists and administrators – many of whom are College of Engineering alumni.

The event will serve as a forum for these experts to pinpoint challenges and address specific questions related to research, education, and the future of water management worldwide.

Recommendations for research, education needs

Hosted at the Durrell Center on the CSU campus, the summit will focus on current understanding of the role of water and climate issues in the modern world, culminating in a position statement on behalf of CSU, CIRA, and Riverside. The statement will summarize major research needs and educational requirements for the next generation of water managers.

Sessions during the workshop will be chaired by David McLean, dean of the College of Engineering at CSU; Larry Brazil, president and CEO of Riverside Technology; Chris Kummerow, professor and director of CIRA; and Neil Grigg, CSU professor of civil and environmental engineering. Topics will include regional water management strategies, observation technologies, and challenges to climate and water forecasting, among others.

CSU and Riverside share a goal of solving the world’s most pressing water, land, and climate problems, and have lived those goals through partnership on many projects over the last three decades.

Riverside Technology, inc. provides science and engineering solutions and information and analysis tools for its clients’ environmental decision-making needs worldwide. They work with federal, state, and local government agencies, private sector clients, and international organizations to provide services in areas such as information technology, atmospheric science, water resources management and modeling, and geographic information systems. Since 1985, Riverside has performed thousands of projects in more than 30 countries worldwide.

CIRA was established in 1980 as in interdisciplinary partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and CSU.