Upcoming Symposium: Climate Change and North America’s Water Security
2008; Dates to be announcedGlobal climate change is already having an impact on North America. Prolonged droughts and major floods appear to be on the increase. Water—for residential, agricultural, and industrial use—is becoming a much more valuable commodity. Aquifers and freshwater lakes are seeing increased drawdowns without replenishment. Water is becoming a continent-wide problem. Should the North American countries of Canada, Mexico, and the United States develop their own national water policies, or is a common, tri-national, North American water policy a more sensible option? What would a tri-national water policy look like?
The North American Institute (NAMI) is organizing a symposium oriented towards producing a policy document that would help frame the discussion about a North American Water policy. The symposium will bring scientists and policy makers together in order to exchange information and to forge a preliminary statement on water policy in North America. The symposium will be held in Santa Fe over the course of two days (dates and exact venue to be determined), with the first day being devoted to presentations and discussion on global climate change and its impacts on water in North America. The second day would focus on policy responses—unilateral, bi-national, and tri-national—to the changing nature of water resources on the continent. Themes include:
• Global climate change and water: what are the expected impacts?
• Existing national policies, and bi-national agreements and treaties
• Water and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
• Case studies of particular regions (local and trans-border)
• Forging a continental response to climate change and water
Interested potential participants, partners, and sponsors should contact the North American Institute. Date and venue are yet to be determined. We expect that the symposium will be limited to no more than 20 participants.
The North American Institute (NAMI) is a tri-national, non-profit, post-partisan organization dedicated to fostering greater cooperation between Canada, Mexico, and the United States on issues of common concern.
For more information please contact Sharon Kelley at 505-982-3657 or
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