Tackling America’s water crisis: A cross-sector approach

Collaboration strategies for sustainable water resource management.

Introduction

Abundant and diverse water resources exist in the United States, from complex river systems and wetlands to coastal waters. The country is endowed with some of the world’s largest freshwater and marine reserves.¹ Yet, under severe pressures from climate change and accelerating land use demands, the nation is facing major water challenges. We interviewed 54 water specialists across the public and private sectors (figure 1) who experience relevant issues. We then captured the pain points and discussed new ways to encourage cross-sector collaboration and better manage our water resources. Our analysis suggests that to succeed, public-private partnerships must acknowledge inherent challenges in managing complex water systems while working to align values, set mutually beneficial objectives, prioritize projects that meet these objectives, and effectively leverage the partnership’s combined resources. These collaborations are more likely to lead to long-term, sustainable, and equitable solutions for managing our national water supply.

Managing water resources in the United States: Challenges and fragmented approaches

Water use challenges across the country vary by geography and depend on factors such as population density, climate, industrial activities, agricultural practices, and water availability.² Much of the United States is facing drought conditions, particularly in areas where the population relies on the agrarian economy, and some regions are known for their high water consumption due to specific demands and resource availability.

Water scarcity is most acute in the arid western United States due to conflicts between states over agricultural irrigation and urban consumption within the Colorado River watershed. In the central plains states, irrigation is crucial for growing crops like corn, soybeans, and wheat, which contributes to the nation’s agricultural output and export. As a result, the Ogallala Aquifer, the largest aquifer in the country that spans eight central states, has been under constant depletion for decades.³ Similarly, water demand is high for major urban centers and agricultural uses in the Mississippi River basin and southeastern states. As episodic flooding increases due to climate change, these strained water resources are becoming increasingly polluted, threatening the viability of critical water supply in these watersheds.⁴

These unique environments produce highly localized water challenges and require relevant and focused solutions. But water transcends borders and county lines, and we often manage, protect, and govern our water resources in fragmented ways that conflict with natural water landscapes and the water cycle.

American water tales

Our interviews with public and private sector water specialists highlight a few examples of the diverse and complex water problems across different ecologies in the United States. These illustrative tales provide a glimpse into the very real […]

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