Texas Water Summit to Explore Meeting Texas Water Needs

The Academy of Medicine, Engineering & Science of Texas (TAMEST) will hold the 2014 Texas Water Summit: Securing Our Economic Future at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin, Texas, on May 19, 2014. This summit will address the economic implications for meeting the water needs of the rapidly growing population of Texas. Topics to be discussed include water availability, agricultural water use, water for ecological needs, industrial water needs and opportunities, and opportunities for new industrial waters.

The program will include presentations by three featured speakers: Elizabeth Fazio, J.D., LL.M., committee director, Committee on Natural Resources, Texas House of Representatives; Laura Huffman, Texas state director, The Nature Conservancy; and Carlos Rubinstein, chairman, Texas Water Development Board. In addition, the program will include presentations by water experts from Texas industry, academia, and government.

The two primary goals of the 2014 Texas Water Summit are to engage individuals from various economic sectors to identify, explore and ultimately implement solutions to our water for economic development needs and to develop, longer term, a continuing role for the application of science and technology to address water issues that face the state.

“To meet the water needs of a population projected to double in size over the next 50 years, Texas should ensure that sectors driving the economy, such as oil & gas, energy, and power generation, receive the water they need,” said Dr. Danny Reible, the 2014 Texas Water Summit program chair. “These sectors may be able to largely fund the transition from our current water allocations via taxes and fees based upon the true economic value of water.”

Source: The Academy of Medicine, Engineering & Science of Texas