Bureau of Reclamation showcases United States expertise at the 8th World Water Forum in Brazil

Written by: Kristine T. Smith

Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman (2nd from left) with fellow members of the panel she participated in.Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman led a delegation from the United States and the Department of the Interior to the World Water Forum in Brasilia, Brazil from March 18 to 23. Organized by the World Water Council, based in Marseille, France, this global event on water takes place every three years in a different host country. More than 10,000 professionals from 170 countries attended the forum, including nine heads of state and more than 100 ministers, parliamentarians and mayors. The forum is held to find solutions to the world’s water security challenges, which is why the theme of this year’s event was “Sharing Water”.

Commissioner Burman represented the U.S. in a series of high-level events attended by international heads of state and ministers. As a panelist and keynote speaker, she highlighted Reclamation’s cooperation with Mexico and innovative measures to the challenges of drought and water scarcity.

Fellow Reclamation attendees, including Attorney-Advisor Bob Snow, Deputy Commissioner for Operations David Palumbo, Attorney-Advisor Bob Snow, Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project Manager Wendy Christensen, International Affairs Specialist Kristine Smith, spoke on international, interdisciplinary panels to a global audience. They discussed Reclamation efforts on transboundary water, drought management, U.S.-Mexico relations, the food-energy-water nexus and the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan. Other DOI attendees included five representatives from the U.S. Geological Survey and Dr. Andrea Travnicek, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science.

Interior, through Reclamation and USGS, showcased their advancements during the six-day event and gained a broader understanding of the common ground all countries face in tackling water challenges.

“Events such as the forum help Reclamation staff connect with a world community that looks to our leadership and long history as they seek to expand their scientific, engineering, and policy knowledge in the water arena.” Commissioner Burman said. “This was another opportunity for us to maintain our strong partnerships around the world, while learning for international counterparts who are tackling very similar issues in their home countries. In this forum, we underscored our partnerships and discovered we can learn from one another in applying shared solutions to common problems.”

Reclamation and USGS delegates to the forum also staffed a booth in the exposition space, which welcomed more than 20,000 visitors and hosted meetings with international organizations and international counterparts such as Australia, Israel, Brazil and Mexico.

To learn more about the World Water Forum please visit http://www.worldwaterforum8.org/.

Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project Manager Wendy Christensen

USA Delegation poses with leadership from Brazil's National Water Management Agency, ANA

Published on May 30, 2018