ENV 725b () / 2024-2025

Water, Energy, and Food Interconnections in a Changing Climate

Credits: 3 Spring 2025: Time and location TBA

Water, energy, and food systems are interconnected. Over-appropriation of freshwater to support irrigated agriculture and to develop non-renewable and renewable energy sources has depleted rivers and aquifers, contributing to growing water scarcity that imperils food and energy security. This problem is exacerbated by climate change, which is lowering precipitation and riverine flows in water-stressed regions, increasing crop-water requirements, and raising energy demands for cooling.  This seminar is intended to illuminate the relations between freshwater demand and availability, various forms of energy development, agriculture, and human-induced climate change.  An understanding of these relations is needed to manage the often-competing objectives of the water, energy, and food sectors in ways that ensure the long-term health of ecosystems.