2021
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New WWA Director Ben Livneh
SpotlightWestern Water Assessment is thrilled to welcome Dr. Ben Livneh as our new Director! Ben has worked closely with the program for almost 10 years, first as a postdoctoral researcher and then as a principal investigator on the core program team. His hydrology research integrates social science methods and is consistently driven by the priorities of water managers and other decision makers in the region. Current projects include building understanding of climate impacts on snowpack and water supply predictability, and investigating the impacts of wildfire on water runoff. Ben is also a CIRES Fellow and an Assistant Professor in the CU Boulder Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering department.
We are grateful to WWA’s outgoing Director, Dr. Lisa Dilling, for her innovative and fearless leadership over the past 7 years. As Director, Lisa deeply integrated social science perspectives throughout our activities, and most recently she co-led our successful RISA funding proposal. She will remain a principal investigator on the core WWA program team, and we are excited to continue to work with her.
Ben, Lisa, and the entire WWA team are excited to advance projects that build community and water system resilience to compounding climate hazards, particularly in frontline communities in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. You can learn more about Ben and WWA’s Director transition in this new CIRES highlight.
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‘Burn scars’ of wildfires threaten drinking water in much of California and the West
NewsLos Angeles Times
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WWA September 2021 Newsletter
Newsletter- Program Renewal Success
- New WWA Website
- Liz Payton Appointed to the NCA5 Team
- Michigan State and WWA Receive Funding for ACCESS
- We are Water Video Series
- Monsoonal Rains in August
- Featured Articles
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WWA is renewed until 2026!
SpotlightWe are thrilled to share that Western Water Assessment has been renewed as a NOAA Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) program through August 2026! We look forward to continuing to conduct innovative research and working with our partners to advance climate resilience in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.
Extreme weather events, climate change, and societal stressors are challenging the resilience of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming like never before. In recent years, we have seen historically low river flows, record-setting wildfires, and extreme heat and drought, in addition to the compounding impacts of dramatic economic transitions for rural communities and rapid population growth across the region. The region’s institutional, infrastructural, and societal capacity to support the wellbeing of its residents is being severely tested. Our work has never been more urgent.
Over the coming five years, we will advance climate, resilience, and adaptation research and on-the-ground activities in partnership with communities, water providers, agencies, and others who are navigating these challenges. Our activities will increase the resilience of communities and water systems, with a particular focus on those at the frontline of climate change, including Tribes and smaller rural communities.
We are excited that our team is growing to include researchers from the University of Utah and the University of Wyoming, establishing formal partnerships and deepening our commitment to serving the entire region. For more information, please contact the WWA Managing Director, Benét Duncan, at benet.duncan@colorado.edu.
