Gleick, Institute Recognized for Water Leadership

CUWCC cites "creative, critical, and influential research"

Contact:
Ian Hart, Pacific Institute • 510-251-1600 x106

We are delighted to announce that on December 7, the California Urban Water Conservation Council (CUWCC) recognized Pacific Institute president and co-founder Peter Gleick with their 2005 Water Conservation Excellence Award for Statewide/Institutional Innovations. The award recognizes Dr. Gleick's 

extraordinary contributions over the past twenty years as head of the Pacific Institute, wherein he helped define and promote sustainable water policy in California. His creative, critical, and influential research into water efficiency options as part of statewide water resources planning has been invaluable to the California Bulletin 160 process by placing water efficiency squarely on the table. His leadership on water and climate issues has justly earned him a worldwide reputation as a Thinker, Scholar, Visionary, and Prophet. California is lucky to be his home and the constant beneficiary of his vision and research.

Dr. Gleick and the Institute are grateful for the recognition, particularly due to the diversity of the CUWCC, which is made up of representatives from urban water agencies, public-interest organizations, and private interests all committed to improving California’s water-use efficiency.

Coincidentally, the award comes just before the release of the 2005 California Water Plan Update by the California Department of Water Resources. The Update projects state water supply and demand over the next 25 years. For more than a decade, Dr. Gleick and the Institute have urged DWR to include more realistic estimates of water conservation and efficiency potential, and recently published a high-efficiency scenario to supplement the more traditional scenarios prepared by DWR. This Institute report, “California Water 2030: An Efficient Future,” shows that Californians could be using 20% less water in 25 years, even with expected population growth, a strong agricultural sector, and a healthy economy — just by applying existing efficiency technology consistently and widely.

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According to their Web site, “The California Urban Water Conservation Council was created to increase efficient water use statewide through partnerships among urban water agencies, public interest organizations, and private entities. The Council's goal is to integrate urban water conservation Best Management Practices into the planning and management of California's water resources.”

The Pacific Institute is dedicated to protecting the natural world, encouraging sustainable development, and improving global security. Founded in 1987 and based in downtown Oakland, the Institute provides independent research and policy analysis on issues at the intersection of development, environment, and security. 

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