The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST) will hold the 2012 Texas Water Summit: Securing Water for Texas’ Future at the ATandT Executive Education and Conference Center on May 20-21. This summit will explore the major challenges of ensuring future water resources including supply and demand, water science and conservation, surface and groundwater resources and developing new forms of water resources.
This event, hosted by The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Texas System, will include keynote addresses by state Rep. Mark Strama and Robert Mace, deputy executive administrator of water science and conservation at the Texas Water Development Board, as well as presentations by prominent experts from Texas industry, academia and government.
In 2011 Texas experienced the worst single-year drought in the state’s history, generating direct economic losses that exceeded $10 billion. As Texas begins to outgrow its water supply infrastructure, there are significant political, economic, technological and scientific challenges that must be met to ensure the state is prepared for future population growth.
“As the state’s population increases to a projected 46 million by 2060, we can no longer rely on technologically obsolete methods used for the past 50 years we must actively develop new best practices for water management that will safeguard our future,” said Danny Reible, director of the university’s Center for Research in Water Resources and the 2012 Texas Water Summit program chair.
Water is essential for our future economic growth and prosperity in Texas. The ability to efficiently manage our water infrastructure will directly correlate with our ability to attract industry, meet growing energy needs and maintain the public’s quality of life.
“The objective of the 2012 Texas Water Summit is to develop a common understanding of the science, technology, economics, policy requirements and public education needed to address the emerging challenges to the region’s water security,” said Dr. William R. Brinkley, 2012 TAMEST president and emeritus dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the Baylor College of Medicine.
Since its inception in 2004, TAMEST has played an important role in bringing together Texas’ scientists, business leaders and policymakers to address issues of critical importance by fostering collaboration on innovative solutions to the state’s technological challenges. Two critical issues forums held in 2011 addressed the future of energy in Texas and the importance of scientific research at our state’s universities.
Visit 2012 Texas Water Summit for more information.
