Season 5, Episode 2: Why the U.S. Needs a New National Water Strategy with Dr. Newsha Ajami and Dr. Martin Doyle (Part 2)
Dr, Newsha Ajami
Dr. Martin Doyle
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In the second half of John Sabo’s conversation with Dr. Newsha Ajami and Dr. Martin Doyle, the discussion shifts from the 1951 national water plan to what a modern national water strategy needs to address. Together, they explore the economic value of water, the scale and structure of governance, rural water challenges, and why innovation in governance and finance, and not just technology, is essential for the decades ahead.
“ I think what we want and what we need as a nation is to be aware that in almost every business decision, water is actually an input variable. But we have lived in a world of luxury where they haven’t actually had to consider it as such. ”
Key Topics
Communicating the Value of Water: Martin explains why the water community has struggled to communicate water’s economic value, and why industries must start treating water as a core input to their operations—not an assumed, inexpensive resource.
Why Making Land Use Decisions First is a Problem: Newsha describes how development and permitting often happen long before water planning, leaving water quantity considerations as an afterthought that threatens long-term resilience.
Federal vs. State Roles in Water Governance: John, Newsha, and Martin break down how water authority is fragmented across levels of government, creating tension, duplication, and barriers to holistic strategy.
How Basin and Aquifer Boundaries Shape Water Governance: Martin and Newsha discuss how different hydrologic boundaries—like basins and aquifers—affect what kinds of water management structures can realistically work, using examples from the Colorado River and the Lower Mekong.
Why Rural Water Belongs in a National Strategy: Martin explains that most water supply, groundwater recharge, food production, carbon sequestration, and species conservation depend on rural landscapes, and Newsha adds that many rural and tribal communities have historically been excluded from water rights, planning, and major investments.
Innovation, Not Technology: Newsha and Martin explain why the strategy avoids listing technologies and instead focuses on creating the regulatory, financial, and institutional space needed for new ideas to be tested and adopted.
Links to Relevant Studies and Resources:
Learn more about the Aspen National Water Strategy Initiative, where participants are developing a national water strategy.
Learn more about the Lower Mekong Commission, which John references when discussing binational vs. multinational water governance.
“ The challenges and opportunities these rural communities are facing are very, very different, and if you try to use the same tool to fix the problems or challenges they’re facing, it’s in vain. It’s not going to get anywhere. ”
Transcript
Coming soon.