The low-cost standard registration for the WRRC's upcoming conference, Arizona’s Agricultural Outlook: Water, Climate, and Sustainability, closes on June 30! Register today to ensure your spot before the price goes up. In addition to the diverse set of speakers and topics scheduled for the in-person day on July 12, the WRRC has organized two days of virtual programming on July 13 and 14.
October 01, 2021
Dr. Karletta Chief to Lead New Indigenous Resilience Center
“The current moment is one of unparalleled resilience perils that have had major adverse impacts for Native and Indigenous communities,” said Toni Massaro, the executive director of the UArizona Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social Justice, in a statement on the newly created Indigenous Resilience Center (IRC). On September 13, UArizona President Robert C. Robbins announced the creation of the IRC, which will be led by Dr. Karletta Chief, university distinguished outreach professor of environmental science and Cooperative Extension associate specialist. The IRC will be a partnership between Native Nations, the UArizona Institutes for Resilience, the Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social Justice, and several academic programs and faculty members working to support the resilience of Indigenous communities.
In a KOLD News 13 interview, Dr. Chief said that being part of this new initiative has been a dream of hers since she “started this academic journey coming from the Navajo Nation … Growing up on the reservation with no electricity, no running water, and living in a community impacted by coal mining.” UArizona Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation Elizabeth “Betsy” Cantwell commented on Dr. Chief’s leadership saying, “I am particularly grateful we had the opportunity to place at the helm Dr. Chief, whose entire career both as a researcher and an educator has centered traditional ecological knowledge solidly within an academic framework.” The IRC will harness UArizona’s expertise in water resources, climate change, drought, resilience, and outreach to conduct community-driven and place-based Tribal research and engagement. IRC faculty will also develop courses that connect traditional STEM education with Indigenous knowledge, Tribal consultation and research ethics, natural resource management, and more.
Image: Courtesy of Karletta Chief
Recent News
June 09, 2022
BOOK REVIEW - The Water Recycling Revolution: Tapping into the Future
Summer break is a good time for reading. Although fiction is my preferred genre, I was eager to read the fourth and latest book by William M. and Rosemarie Alley, The Water Recycling Revolution: Tapping into the Future
May 31, 2022
WRRC and Universidad de Sonora: Present and Future Cooperation on Transboundary Matters
On May 16, the WRRC organized a meeting in Nogales, Arizona to discuss current and future opportunities for collaboration on the federally funded Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP).
May 26, 2022
Agriculture/Water Nexus Academy 2022
Water is an important consideration for most businesses, but it is absolutely essential for agriculture. Arizona agriculture exports food and fiber to 70 countries across the globe as well as throughout the US.
May 25, 2022
Many Engaged for INHABITANTS Documentary Panel Discussion
On May 16, the WRRC hosted a panel discussion on the documentary film INHABITANTS: Indigenous Perspectives On Restoring Our World. The panel featured Dr. Michael Kotutwa Johnson, Assistant Specialist, UArizona Indigenous Resilience Center, School of Natural Resources and the Environment; film co-directors Costa Boutsikaris and Anna Palmer; and moderator Rebecca Tsosie, JD, Regents Professor of Law, UArizona James E. Rogers College of Law.
May 13, 2022
Stressed Colorado River Makes News
In the last few weeks, most major and local news outlets have raised alarms about conditions in the Colorado River Basin and steep declines in river flows.