Annual Conference

Interested in Presenting?

Take a look at our presentation topics to better understand our
2022 WRPI Conference theme: Water Connects! Justice, Resilience, and Innovation!

Please submit your Abstract and Title to the committee
by 5:00 pm on February 11, 2022.

Presentation Topics

As water connects, we encourage all proposals to be interdisciplinary and/or intersectional.
Topics include (but are not limited to):

• Justice in Water Policy Initiatives and Regulations
  “Access to clean, safe, and affordable water for drinking and sanitation is a fundamental human right essential for a healthy population, environment, and economy. Many communities, particularly those of low-income and communities of color are under-served. Unlike other groups, these communities lack access to safe, affordable water for drinking, subsistence, cultural, and/or recreational uses. Water justice will only be achieved when inclusive, community-based forms of water management are developed and we address the health and environmental burdens low-income communities and communities of color bear." (Adapted from https://ejcw.org/)
  
  Topics for this category should include inclusive water management efforts that work to address the water inequalities and injustices. Especially for the under-served communities such as low-income and communities of color.
  

• Water Sustainability and Resilience
  “California faces a range of water challenges, some long-standing, others related to the increasingly warm climate. These challenges include unsafe and undependable drinking water supplies, major flood risks, severely depleted groundwater supplies, and the threat of extinction to native fish species. No single fix can ameliorate these stubborn challenges, prepare us for climate change, and protect our natural environment. In his April 2019 Executive Order calling for the Water Resilience Portfolio, Governor Newsom noted that providing clean, dependable water supplies to communities, agriculture, and industry while restoring and maintaining the health of watersheds will require collaborative strategies between government, sovereign tribes, local communities, water agencies, irrigation districts, environmental conservationists, academia, business and labor leaders, and other stakeholders." https://resources.ca.gov/Initiatives/Building-Water-Resilience/portfolio

  Topics for this category should provide collaborative strategies to restoring and maintaining the health of our water while combating a range of water challenges related to climate change.
  

• Innovation and Technology (applied to water)
  “Innovation" (adapted from EPA Water Research Grants Call for Proposals): Work that provides insight on the engineering and science necessary to develop sustainable solutions to 21st century water resource problems, ensuring water quality and availability in order to protect human and ecosystem health.

  Topics for this category may include innovative, new processes or technology related to water including water treatment, distribution efficiency, infrastructure, etc
  

• Water Resource Management and/or Engineering
  “Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) is a collaborative effort to identify and implement water management solutions on a regional scale that increase regional self-reliance, reduce conflict, and manage water to concurrently achieve social, environmental, and economic objectives.This approach delivers higher value for investments by considering all interests, providing multiple benefits, and working across jurisdictional boundaries. Examples of multiple benefits include improved water quality, better flood management, restored and enhanced ecosystems, and more reliable surface and groundwater supplies." https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Integrated-Regional-Water-Management

  Topics for this category should include collaborative engineering efforts and approaches to identify and implement water management solutions.

Proposals will be Accepted for:

Presentations - Team or individual proposals accepted from faculty, staff and/or students.
Presentations will be a max of 15 minutes and might be in the form of panels, lightning talks, and/or PechaKucha
Posters - Team or individual proposals accepted from faculty, staff and/or students..

Application Process:

Please submit your Abstract and Title to the committee
by 5:00 pm on February 11, 2022.

Selections will be made by the WRPI Conference Planning Committee based upon desired topics,
flow of content, educational value, and understanding of the content. All selected content will be published in conference publications and on WRPI's website.

Questions, concerns, or comments should be directed to [email protected].The WRPI reserves the right to decline a submission for presentation at the 2022 WRPI Annual Conference.