Envisioning a New “Water Ethic” for the Engineering Community

Virtual Preview – April 8, 2025

In-Person Summit – May 6&7, 2025, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

Climate change, population and economic growth, equity concerns, and new demands from emerging technologies, as well as legacy issues flowing from past infrastructure failures and shortcomings, are transforming society’s ability to satisfy fundamental needs for clean water and sanitation.

These dynamics signal the advent of what author Peter Glieck calls “The Third Age of Water.” This “new age,” which will be explored at the next ECL-USA summit, presents a pressing obligation for the engineering community to fully manifest its commitment to a new “water ethic” as guidance for its stewardship of this vital natural resource on behalf of society.

A two-hour virtual preview will highlight the emergence of this “water ethic.” The following two-day in-person summit will take a deep dive into what that ethic might look like, and inquire into a set of key imperatives present as this new water age unfolds, including:

·       Catalyzing a shift toward a “water conscious culture.”

·       Recognizing the “true value (cost) of water.”

·       Prioritizing water insecurity and the needs of underserved communities.

·       Confronting driving forces reshaping water supply and demand.

Learn more about the “Envisioning a New Water Ethic Summit” and register here.

###

About Engineering Change Lab – USA

Engineering Change Lab – USA (ECL) is a social change lab founded in 2017 that convenes change leaders across the engineering community to explore the future of engineering. ECL hosts a series of summits each year to learn from thought leaders, share perspectives, provoke new ways of thinking, deepen understanding of engineering’s emerging future, and launch experiments and focused initiatives. Learn more at ECL-USA.org.