AGRICULTURAL/URBAN/ENVIRONMENTAL WATER SHARING IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES: CAN ENGINEERS ENGAGE SOCIAL SCIENCE FOR SUCCESSFULSOLUTIONS ?

摘要

Throughout the world, demand exceeds supply when it comes to water for agriculture, urban needs and a healthy environment. In the western United States water is being permanently transferred from agriculture, putting food security and the viability ofrural communities at risk. The authors of this paper are separately and jointly involved in projects and studies to determine how water might be shared between agricultural, urban, and environmental sectors in ways that effectively stretch supplies, with benefits to all.Engineering solutions will be necessary. But legal and institutional changes and alternative approaches to achieve economic and other social benefits, must be addressed as well. Stakeholders from all sectors must be fully engaged at all levels.The authors present a water-sharing model under development in the South Platte River Basin of Colorado in the western United States. They discuss the convening in 2010 of western United States water leaders from agricultural, urban, and environmental sectors to develop recommendations for western governors for overcoming obstacles to multi-sector water sharing. The authors draw from examples provided by international academics and practitioners to show that our greatest challenge in this water balancepuzzle is not technological but sociological.