World Water Day is March 22, but at the University of Arizona, water is at the center of rigorous research year-round. 

Established in 1993 by the United Nations, World Water Day is a day to "celebrate water and inspire action to tackle the global water crisis" and to focus on the importance of freshwater availability around the world. According to the U.N., "2.2 billion live without safely managed drinking water services, with devastating impacts for their lives and wider society."

The U of A is uniquely positioned to address the most pressing issues related to water. The U of A is ranked No. 1 in the U.S. in water resources in the latest ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects and No. 2 in the U.S. in water resources in U.S. News & World Report's Best Global Rankings 2024-25. The U of A also ranks among the top 50 worldwide in physical sciences, according to Times Higher Education.

This year's theme for World Water Day is glacial preservation – a familiar topic for Jack Holt, a professor in the U of A Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and the Department of Geosciences. 

Holt leads Snow4Flow, a mission that uses advanced airborne radar mounted to low-flying aircraft to study Arctic glaciers. The project, awarded $30 million from NASA in 2024,  seeks to better understand how snowfall feeds glaciers and how fast those glaciers move. The work will help researchers make more accurate predictions about how glaciers shrink and grow, and how much they contribute to sea level change.

"In order to preserve something, you need to know what you have and how it is changing," Holt said. "Glaciers across the Arctic are changing faster than anywhere on the planet, yet we have few constraints on their thickness, their ice volume or their annual snowfall input, which is critical to maintain their health. Snow4Flow will make the critical measurements needed to answer those questions and enable more accurate forecasts of glacier health into the future, under different climate warming scenarios."

Snow4Flow is one of several multidisciplinary water research projects – with major local and global implications – underway at the U of A. Sharon Megdal, director of the university's Water Resources Research Center, is involved with many of these projects, including water policy and management research as well as education and engagement programs. Megdal contributes to the WRRC's Weekly Wave with her "Reflections" essay series, helping explain complex water policy issues.

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In this Q&A, Megdal discusses the importance of grassroots water engagement and how Arizona's unique climate provides an ideal backdrop for water research.

Q: For students interested in water research, what should they know about the kinds of projects that have the biggest global impact?

A: In many ways, water is very local. Among the many water topics addressed by research and classes at the U of A are groundwater and surface water availability and quality; the water needs of municipalities, agriculture, industry and nature; and how we design and build water treatment and conveyance facilities, buildings and communities. Many of our researchers work on the economic and policy aspects of water, as well as various approaches to conservation and water efficiency, flooding and groundwater recharge. You name it and we are exploring it. Our water experts share their findings with water professionals and academic experts, which ensures that the water work of the U of A has impacts from local to global scale.

Q: What does the future of water research look like in Arizona and other semi-arid regions?

A: Water research will build upon and expand current efforts. I like to talk about how the water challenges we face have the characteristics of what are considered "wicked problems." Wicked problems are big and are not resolved with a single solution. It takes multidisciplinary, collaborative efforts to address some of the big water challenges we face, such as the imbalance of Colorado River water supply and demand, and the overdrafting of our finite groundwater supplies. Access to clean water and sanitation for all is one of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Yet, we have not achieved that. It is going to take continued efforts to work with water users and communities to develop the scientific analyses and other information needed to identify and implement solutions that contribute to a secure water future.

Q: What can people do in their daily lives to help with water preservation?

A: I want individuals to be informed water stewards. Water literacy is important. Those receiving water from water utilities should know where their water comes from, and I do not mean the tap. Is the source of their water groundwater and/or surface water? People should not waste water, and they should make sure they are informed of the costs and benefits of proposals from their water utilities to invest in new technologies and/or water conservation practices. Water is a precious resource. We all should treat it as such.