This month examines water usage in the Greater Phoenix Area in the U.S. state of Arizona and its implications for sustainability in the context of rapid urban development and climate change scenarios affecting water security in the southwestern U.S. Throughout history, water security has been one of the fundamental factors affecting the survivability and development of human civilization, especially in semi-arid and arid climates. Arizona entered its 18th year of drought in 2018 that has adversely affected water security. An example of this is the alarmingly low water level of Lake Mead, a human-made reservoir created by damming the Colorado River, which supplies water to several southwestern states and is now at its lowest water level since its construction in 1931. This lecture presents the understanding of water security and what this means for the future of the Greater Phoenix Area through current scientific literature.

This Science Cafe is presented by Dr. Abeer Hamdan, Professor of Geosciences at Phoenix College, AZ