Enabling sustainability transitions in water-scarce communities in the U.S. West

Keywords: sustainability, drought, water governance, adaptive capacity, urban
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Tuesday
Session Start / End Time: 3/1/2022 11:20 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 3/1/2022 12:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 71

Abstract

In response to the combined pressures of population growth and worsening drought conditions, cities across the U.S. West have worked to reduce per capita water use over the past few decades. However, water availability on the Colorado River is expected to continue to decline due to climate change. This leaves future water supplies for the 40 million people that rely on the Colorado River Basin uncertain. Using city and utility planning documents and interviews with land use planners and water managers in Colorado River Basin communities, I examine how communities plan for sustainable water use and land use under growth conditions. Drawing on insights from literature on adaptive capacity, collaborative governance, and sustainability transitions, this study analyzes factors that enable shifts toward sustainable land and water governance in water-scarce communities. Findings reveal multiple pathways toward sustainability that include a combination of pre- and post-development activities at the intersection of land use and water management.