Interdisciplinary Working Groups

 

The UF Water Institute coordinated “Working Groups” nurture shared interests in water issues among participating stakeholders.  Group and individual interactions through the collaborative processes are helping to transform the way science is developed and used by bridging the gap between researchers and the ultimate users of the scientific knowledge produced for sustaining the water future.  The Water Institute working groups provide social learning and collaboration platforms where members engage in joint activities, discussions, and share information.  These dynamic processes help build relationships that enable members to learn from each other, promote shared knowledge, data, models and tools relevant to their situations, and develop collaborative proposals.


Florida Water and Climate Alliance (FloridaWCA)
Climate change, climate variability, sea level rise and associated uncertainties and risks pose increasingly complex challenges to the planning and operations of Florida’s public water supply utilities. The Florida Water and Climate Alliance (FloridaWCA) is focused on making climate science more useable for planning and operational needs related to both the supply of and demand for water. Initiated in September 2010, it provides a collaborative forum for public water suppliers, water resource managers, climate, hydrologic and social scientists to promote shared knowledge, data, models, decision-making tools, strategies and adaptations relevant to the dynamic and changing conditions affecting water supply reliability. The working group is interested in opportunities to support the collaborative development of new industry-relevant tools that have been vetted through the academic, public water supply and regulatory communities in Florida. Click here for detailed information on the FloridaWCA including working documents, workshops, and related information.

Center of Excellence for Watershed Management
The Center of Excellence for Watershed Management (CEWM) was established within the University of Florida Water Institute in summer 2011 under a Memorandum of Understanding with the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation . This working group consists of faculty, researchers, students and extension personnel who seek and obtain funding to conduct water quality projects that help watershed stakeholders develop watershed solutions to water quality problems through outreach, review services and research.