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The Water Group dinner on April 15

Water issues are currently being studied from several angles in and around the Boston area, known as the “Capital city of South Asia water experts.” The SAI-supported interfaculty project on water brings people together to generate a forward-looking agenda on water and water-related issues.

This multi-university Boston Water Consortium, which includes Harvard, MIT, Tufts and BU, organizes monthly roundtable discussions  to identify a common language around understanding the various issues related to water. Issues that are currently being studied include linkages to energy, agriculture, food security, climate change and urbanization.

The group continues to meet to define its contribution to the on-going study of the inter-related issues arising from water use and management.

The Boston Water Group held their monthly meeting  on Tuesday, April 15 at a dinner hosted by SAI and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The meeting was chaired by Peter Rogers, Gordon McKay Professor of Environmental Engineering and Professor of City and Regional Planning, SEAS. 

Members of the group include scientists and academics from a variety of disciplines including economics, engineering, human rights and law, among others. Faculty from Harvard, MIT, Northeastern, Oxford, Suffolk, Tufts, UMass Amherst, UNC were in attendance, as well as members of the US Geological Survey, and NGOs with focus on water challenges throughout the world.

Conversations included the upcoming workshop on Urban Water Challenges hosted by SAI, as well as the issues of framing access to water as a human right. It was noted by a participant that in order to solve problems related to water, it is necessary to have such dialogues that include depth of many disciplines. This group will also be hosting a workshop,From SAARC to Slums: Urban Water Challenges in South Asiaon April 25 as part of SAI’s Annual Symposium.