University of California, Merced
IN-4: Innovation 4

In 2015 the University of California established the UC Water Initiative to address issues related to climate change, population growth, and changing land-cover that has radically altered the water cycle with dramatic impacts on human environmental uses of water. The UC Water Security and Sustainability Research Initiative is focused on strategic research to build a knowledge base for developing water-resources management. UC Water brings researchers together from multiple University of California campuses. UC Water Initiatives include: 1. UC WATER is developing innovative, quantitative water accounting and analysis methods, and introducing modern information systems into California’s aging infrastructure. Current water policy lacks salient, credible, and legitimate water information forcing policymakers to rely on century-old technology and analysis techniques. 2. UC WATER is improving our understanding of the way water flows through the natural environment, and how it is extracted, conveyed and stored in built and natural infrastructure. This initiative also contributes to research by developing understanding of landcover changes on source-water areas, and tools and techniques for better groundwater management. 3. UC WATER tightly weaves legal and policy research into our findings. Our research will help facilitate more integrated water management institutions in California and aid in the development of the capacity to adapt to 21st-century stressors.