Across much of human history (and in many parts of the world today), by contrast, the question of where to get water for daily needs was much more immediate. This is especially true of places where large numbers of people gathered together in dense settlements, posing challenges for both the supply of fresh water and the disposal of wastewater and excess precipitation.

While the technologies used to gather and distribute water in the past may have been less complex than those now in use, the basic principles are the same: water is pulled downhill by gravity, soaks into the soil, evaporates into the air, and can be retained and directed by barriers and conduits. The investigation of water management in urban contexts in the past can help us to understand the challenges those societies dealt with and the solutions they developed. Not only are these solutions sometimes relevant to modern challenges in water management in densely-settled areas, but they also help us understand the evolution of the systems we now have.

This panel brings together scholars who study human interactions with water resources in urban environments of the past, from the Romans to the Maya to the modern US Southwest. They will explain how their research illuminates past water management practices, and discuss the connection of those practices with social and historical developments in both the Old and the New Worlds.

There is a long ‘after’ too, as flooded communities take months and years to recover physically, financially, and emotionally. With rain events predicted to be more intense it is imperative to develop networks of collaboration between scientists, planners, community advocates, first responders, and neighbors to better understand and limit risk, more effectively respond during times of crisis, and recover from events in ways that are just and equitable.

Join us for this panel discussion that brings these different perspectives together in hopes of diminishing the impacts of some of our most deadly and costly climate-related hazards.

In this panel, multidisciplinary artists will share how their work engages water as creator and collaborator. Their discussion will explore the ways in which artistic practices, particularly those rooted in community and an ethic of care, can help strengthen our bonds and commitments to each other and to the natural resources on which we all depend.

Within this set of wicked problems some key questions remain ever present: How do we make sure there is sufficient water for all human and non-human communities in the present and the future? How do we ensure equitable access to quality drinking water for all?

In Texas, where communities are frequently dealing with either too much or too little water and our growing urban centers place added strain on water resources, these questions become more important and urgent.

This year we will gather various folks across academic, non-profit, government, advocacy, and artistic sectors to discuss the way water shapes our lives. For this first iteration, join us as our panel of experts lays out some of the key issues and questions surrounding the groundwater and surface water resources of Texas as well as the key scientific, technological, and social contours of water conservation and planning.

Facilitated through the screening of the short film, Weather Isn’t Small Talk, by Planet Texas 2050 Artist-in-Residence mónica teresa ortiz, our panelists’ conversation will engage issues of landscape, language, borders, and film.

You can RSVP here.

Through multiple presentation formats and opportunities for dialog and exchange, Resilience Research in Action highlights the work of PT2050 project teams and partners, as well as that of other researchers and students exploring diverse and intersecting aspects of resilience.

The event is part of our broader efforts to build a community of collaborators through the sharing of ideas, research, tools, and strategies aimed at shaping more resilient communities throughout Texas and beyond.

Click here for a full schedule of each day’s events (and to RSVP).

Through multiple presentation formats and opportunities for dialog and exchange, Resilience Research in Action highlights the work of PT2050 project teams and partners, as well as that of other researchers and students exploring diverse and intersecting aspects of resilience.

The event is part of our broader efforts to build a community of collaborators through the sharing of ideas, research, tools, and strategies aimed at shaping more resilient communities throughout Texas and beyond.

Click here for a full schedule of each day’s events (and to RSVP).

Through multiple presentation formats and opportunities for dialog and exchange, Resilience Research in Action highlights the work of PT2050 project teams and partners, as well as that of other researchers and students exploring diverse and intersecting aspects of resilience.

The event is part of our broader efforts to build a community of collaborators through the sharing of ideas, research, tools, and strategies aimed at shaping more resilient communities throughout Texas and beyond.

Click here for a full schedule of each day’s events (and to RSVP).

The question for the debate is the following: Should policymakers encourage cryptocurrency mining in Texas?

This question will be the subject of an Oxford-style public debate hosted by three groups at the University of Texas at Austin – the Energy Institute, KBH Energy Center for Business, Law and Policy, and Planet Texas 2050.

We’ll hear from experts both for and against expanding cryptocurrency mining in Texas, considering factors related to the environment, economy, equity, and accountability. The audience will vote on their position before and after the debate, and the winner will be the team that changes their numbers the most between votes.

Light bites and refreshments will be served.

As part of this project, local nonprofits Arts New Orleans and the Water Leaders Institute partnered to design a cohort-based professional development program to equip local artists and neighborhood residents with knowledge about critical civic issues to prepare them to co-create public art projects. The program was founded on two core beliefs: (1) public art can be a powerful medium to engage neighbors, build awareness, and motivate action in response to critical civic issues and (2) Multiple skill sets and ways of knowing are necessary to confront collective challenges: residents’ lived experiences, artists’ creative practices, and experts’ technical knowledge are needed and valued.

Join us for a panel discussion with organizers and participants in the Civic Arts Fellowship: Gentilly Resilience District to learn more about this innovative and integrative approach to building neighborhood resilience.