Symposium: Visioning the Future of Water & Energy Research, Urbana-Champaign, November 30 - December 1, 2010

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

The Visioning the Future of Water & Energy Research symposium will bring together program directors from Federal agencies and leading researchers from national research facilities and academia who focus on water research. The participants will explore the issues facing water and energy production in the coming decades and discuss the national research agenda that is critical to addressing those issues. As part of the symposium, the next generation of water researchers within WaterCAMPWS will be given the unique opportunity to present their research to, and gain valuable feedback from, these leading researchers. Topics addressed include: -- Challenges and Federal Policies Driving Water and Energy Research -- Water/Energy Research at NSF ? Environmental Sustainability -- Water/Energy Research in EPA?s Office of Research and Development -- Water/Energy Research at Sandia National Laboratories -- Water/Energy Research Supporting Our Nation?s Armed Forces -- Science and Technology for Safe Global Water -- Water /Energy Research at ARPA-E -- Water/Energy Dual Purpose Plants and Sustainability -- The Global Water/Energy Landscape: Where does the US Fit? -- The role of nanotechnology: intelligent integrated microfluidics and nanofluidics -- STC's and Cultivating the Next Generation of Researchers -- The WaterCAMPWS legacy: its mark on the water research landscape and path forward Ensuring the availability of clean, abundant fresh water for human use is among the most pressing issues facing the United States and the world. The Oct. 10, 2005, Nature web editorial Global Water Crisis declared "More than one billion people in the world lack access to clean water. Over the next two decades, the average supply of water per person will drop by a third, possibly condemning millions of people to an avoidable premature death." In the United States, water has broad impact on our economy, health, food, and energy. Aquifers throughout the U.S. are suffering from declining water levels, saltwater intrusion in coastal areas, and inadequately replenished fresh groundwater. Many of these aquifers are being overdrawn and will experience severe supply problems in the next 20 years. Major rivers and watersheds are also being overdrawn and are becoming saltier downstream.