ENVRINST 260:
Water in the West: Challenges and Opportunities
This 3-unit course explores challenges and opportunities in the management of water resources to protect the economic, ecological, and social values of the American West. Lectures and readings will cover a wide array of subjects and take an interdisciplinary approach to issues affecting water supply, water quality, and ecosystems with an emphasis on applications to policy and practice. Invited speakers from Stanford, other universities, government agencies, business, and non-governmental organizations will discuss relevant topics such as climate change, agricultural and urban water demand, impacts on business, management of freshwater ecosystems, markets and pricing, and other topics to be determined. Class discussion will focus on potential solutions in the areas of policy, markets, technology, and other interventions. Assignments will require students to applying knowledge from readings, lectures, and discussions to practical, real-world scenarios in the form of public comments, editorials, plans, or proposals. Through this course, students will gain an understanding of the complex water landscape of the American West, how decisions affecting water resources in the West are made and may be influenced, and be able to discuss the trade-offs between different various solutions. Limited enrollment. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
| Units: 2-3