Synthesis studies of the interaction of humans in the water cycle

WHY ARE GLOBAL WATER ASSESSMENTS IMPORTANT?

Providing for the water needs of humans while balancing preservation of upstream freshwater resources is a key challenge of the 21st century.  Pressure on future water resources will play out in the context of expanding human development, social and political uncertainties and shifting climate dynamics. Global assessments and indicators of water resources provide useful tools to define the current state of the resource, delineate the scope and regional complexity of stressors, identify populations and stakeholders affected, and forecast impacts into the future.

My analyses of global hydrological models and development of global indicators of human pressures on freshwater systems underpin these assessments and highlight where specific management interventions are likely to be successful. This work provides functional tools for policy makers and managers to prioritize location-based and stressor-targeted water security investments and solutions