How Can Science Inform Water Policy? - A Panel and Dialogue
Channel: National Academies - Earth and Life Studies
Date: 07/01/2019

Identifying the scientific questions, and sharing and communicating the scientific results that inform policy is challenging for many reasons. In the specific case of water policy, the complexity of the range of topics involved, their geographic diversity, range of scales, the potential impacts to people and the environment, and the vast number of involved parties in the public and private sectors makes reliable scientific information an important part of the policy- and decision-making landscape. This forum, presented by the AGU Water and Society Technical Committee and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Water Science and Technology Board, provided a space for active dialogue among scientists and decision-makers. A moderator-led panel of experts will discuss top water science policy issues and barriers to incorporating science into policy.

- What are the most pressing needs to which water resources decision-makers are trying to respond? What is the role of water resources science in these decisions?

- What are scientific insights that haven’t yet gained traction in water policy and why are they not being taken up?

- What kinds of scientific information do policy- and decision-makers find most useful?

- How can the water resources research and technical communities engage in constructive ways with policy makers? And, conversely, how can the policy community better communicate its needs to research and technical audiences?