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A Half Century of Environmental Cooperation: The U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

2:30-3:30 p.m. (in person and virtual)

April 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) between the United States and Canada. Explore the history of the agreement, and hear from a panel that includes U.S., Canadian, and Indigenous perspectives during this session. The panel will provide recommendations for protecting Great Lakes water quality in the future and discuss lessons learned from this agreement that may apply to other shared natural resources.

Hosted by the UW-Madison Law School and Laurie Carlson Progressive Ideas Forum

Mountains and 3 or 4 Rios (Rivers)

2:30-3:30 p.m. (virtual)

Literary readings and art from the bilingual anthology Montañas, and Three or Four Ríos, will be presented by co-editors Sarli E. Mercado and Lori DiPrete Brown. The session will feature the recipients of the José Emilio Pacheco City and Nature Literary Prize, including León Plascencia Ñol (Mexico), Jorge Gutierrez Reyna (Mexico), Brenda Becette (Argentina), Santiago Acosta (Venezuela/USA), Claudia Cabrera Espinosa (Mexico), and Marco Antonio Murillo (México). Eduardo Santana Castellón, who founded the prize and has catalyzed this collaboration, will share reflections on the nature and significance of this work in relation to Earth Day and the overall movement for environmental justice.

Hosted by the UW-Madison 4W Initiative

Working Together to Improve Wisconsin’s Water: How Community-University Partnerships Catalyze Water Quality Projects in Wisconsin

2:30-3:30 p.m. (in person and virtual)

Learn more about the UniverCity Year program and its efforts to address community challenges through UW-Madison and local Wisconsin government partnerships. Speakers will share how these partnerships have helped to improve water quality by highlighting projects such as those that addressed blue green algae in the Fox River to those that helped farmers to address nitrates in the groundwater. The speakers will also highlight the role students play in these important collaborations.

Hosted by UniverCity Alliance and UW-Madison Extension

The Okavango Delta: Opportunities for Regional Cooperation

4:15-5:15 p.m. (in person and virtual)

Join Botswanan Ambassador to the United States Kitso Mokaila and former U.S. Ambassador to Botswana Michelle Gavin for a discussion about the biodiversity value of the Okavango Delta. The speakers will explore potential for regional cooperation through shared water management goals in the Delta, and the potential of university collaborations to foster and support regional cooperation.

Hosted by the Nelson Institute’s Environmental Professional Programs and the UW-Madison International Division and African Studies Program

Water, Water, Everywhere, in the Air, in the Ice, in the Ground, and in the Sea: A Conversation About the Science of the Changing Global Water Cycle

4:15-5:15 p.m. (in person and virtual)

Life first evolved in and depends on water, but balance is essential, as too little or too much water creates challenges. A changing climate accelerates the water cycle and patterns of extreme precipitation and drought, melts glaciers, degrades permafrost, and raises ocean levels in ways that impact weather systems, ecosystems, and society. Hear from a panel of expert scientists from UW-Madison’s Nelson Institute Center for Climatic Research (CCR), who will provide the latest research on these topics.

Hosted by the Nelson Institute Center for Climatic Research

Climate Resilience in the Electricity-Water Nexus

4:15-5:15 p.m. (in person and virtual)

Water is a crucial player in many of the ways we make electricity, and electricity is necessary for water pumping, treatment, and distribution. Our changing climate is leading to disruptions in water availability and extreme weather events that challenge both our energy and water infrastructure. Join us as we explore this relationship and what we can do to become more resilient and ensure equitable access to these life-sustaining goods.

Hosted by the Wisconsin Energy Institute and Nelson Institute Energy Analysis and Policy Certificate