Sustainable Water

Water is essential to our daily lives, and to the economies and ecosystems on which we all depend. However, our water is in crisis. Droughts and floods are becoming more frequent and more intense, new industries are competing for limited water supplies, and pollution continues to degrade water sources. Aging water infrastructure and outdated management practices can’t keep up. The status quo isn’t working.

These problems are interconnected. Yet, too often, water is still managed in a fragmented way that ignores the many linkages across our natural and built water systems. To address the complex challenges we face, we need solutions that break down the walls of traditional management and decision-making silos—or create bridges between them.

CLEE’s water program links innovative research with real-world decision making. Our goal is to catalyze better outcomes for people and the environment. Our work connects the creativity of academia with the needs of communities, businesses, and governments, all grounded in the practical realities of science, law, economics, and policy. We focus on five key impact areas.