Alexa Savage - Undergraduate - Environmental Science
Understanding Water Scarcity and its Effects in Chiapas, Mexico
The state of Chiapas, Mexico is known for its abundance of naturally flowing water. Despite this, water has been inaccessible to its residents with approximately 56% living without access to clean drinking water. This paper aims to discuss the existing water paradox in Chiapas, the effects it has on the community, and recognize what has been done to address this issue. Privatization of water by the Coca-Cola company has made the soft drink more affordable than water, resulting in high diabetes and gastrointestinal illnesses across the community. The existing water infrastructure in Chiapas is not equipped to provide a steady supply of sanitized water to residents. Diversion of water for dams, less rainfall as a result of climate change, and deforestation are other factors affecting water accessibility in Chiapas. The current water management situation has allowed for families to go without access to water from hours to days at a time. Scarcity of water has been a problem in this community for years, and various attempts have been made by groups to acknowledge and propose solutions for this crisis. Many groups have worked to implement better water infrastructure in some communities to make water more accessible. Overall, this paper highlights an important discussion of how inaccessibility of water in Chiapas has had a disproportionate impact on indigenous and low income communities, both of which make up a majority of the state’s population.
Matthew Tanager - Graduate - Geography
Who Pays the Price?
Public and private responsibility and reclamation in the historic Cobalt mining district
Cobalt’s silver rush from 1903 through the early 1920s produced what many consider the modern Canadian mining industry, transforming a previously small-scale extraction industry into the modern technologically driven operations of the present; this now includes massive transnational corporations with operations spanning several continents. During the breakneck pace of extractive development, the town of Cobalt, in the Timiskaming District of Eastern Ontario, Canada, grew in symbiosis with local mines, often on top of mine workings themselves. As repeated in countless boom and bust cycles, however, deposits were emptied and hastily formed, high-risk mining companies bankrupted. While the peak silver rush only lasted a bit more than a decade, its mark has lasted decades in the form of arsenic pollution from waste rock and tailings dumps in the region’s groundwater table – levels of arsenic are well above government water quality standards about a century after the peak of mining activity. Modern Canadian mining law makes specific reservations for reclamation cost and responsibility; companies secure financial bonding to ensure that landscapes will be reclaimed post-use and pollutants will be mitigated. However, the contemporaneous development of mining administration and reclamation law during Cobalt’s time as a mining hub left this question unanswered. This lack of robust environmental protections during extraction have led to a perpetual management scheme with an uncertain future – there is no single actor to take responsibility for cleanup.
Reese Davis - Undergraduate - Environmental Science
Water Shortages in the Panama Canal
This project explores the ongoing water shortage in the Panama Canal and its effects on local communities. The Panama Canal plays a crucial role in global maritime trade, serving as a critical route for goods between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The canal has faced significant challenges due to prolonged droughts that are driven by climate change and worsened by recurring El Niño events. These droughts have led to a reduction in water availability, which the canal and surrounding communities rely on for drinking water, agriculture, and livelihoods. With water levels in Lake Gatun reaching historic lows, the Panama Canal Authority has been forced to impose restrictions on canal operations. This has further stressed local communities and has been disrupting both economic and social structures. Evidence from recent studies including rapid attribution analyses and policy reports, highlights that the drought’s intensity is not entirely unprecedented, and its recurrence is stressing the need for sustainable water management solutions. In response, interventions such as improvements in water recycling and conservation technologies are being proposed. This project argues that a combination of infrastructural investment and community-centered water governance is essential for securing the future of the Panama Canal and protecting the wellbeing of Panama’s population. The evidence presented suggests that the canal’s water crisis is not only a matter of global trade disruption but also a pressing social issue that demands immediate attention.
Rebecca Hosier - Undergraduate - Environmental and Resource Science
Soil Permeability at Old Vegas Trail
A neighborhood on Old Vegas Trail Road, in Las Vegas, Nevada, is transitioning its decorative landscaping to xeric vegetation, aiming to incorporate drought-tolerant species. Las Vegas, Nevada’s climate is known to be dry and arid, with approximately 4.7 inches of annual precipitation. Our main objective is to determine how to maximize and monitor infiltration rates to ensure a healthy environment for the new xeric vegetation. We analyzed soil samples for texture, organic matter, and moisture, and measured infiltration, evapotranspiration, and topography in three different land covered locations; grass, rock and the native desert. This research will help identify variations in infiltration rates influenced by slope, soil texture, and organic matter, ultimately guiding effective xeric landscaping practices for the community
Alexandria Alfano - Undergraduate - Environmental and Resource Science
Estimating Evapotranspiration at sites along the Old Vegas Trail, Henderson, Nevada
The Old Vegas Trail (O.V.T) is an urban strip of land in Henderson, NV, that is going through a transition to a climate adaptive landscape that limits water usage. Evapotranspiration along the site will help estimate how much water is lost to the atmosphere due to urban landscaping. To answer this question, an evapotranspiration can was set up at five sites along the trail, and two more in the desert to compare the area’s conditions without urban landscaping input. The cans used are considerably smaller than the traditional evapotranspiration tanks. Two of the sites along the trail were grassy areas and the other three were rocky areas, both with various trees and shrubs. The loss of water was measured through time in centimeters, using the rim of the can as reference. Compared to the five sites along the trail, the desert cans lost more water. There was no significant difference in the loss of water between the grassy and rocky areas. To get a better estimate of the total evapotranspiration of the O.V.T. I will be gathering more data as well as using temperature data and other factors that impact the area's evapotranspiration. The total evapotranspiration of the O.V.T. could potentially aid in decision-making through the area’s transition to climate adaptive landscaping and serve as data to evaluate the success of the transition once complete.
Hannah Newmarker - Undergraduate - Environmental and Resource Science
Is Precipitation Recharging Shallow Groundwater at Old Vegas Trail in Henderson Nevada?
The Old Vegas Trail, located near Nevada State University in Henderson, Nevada, lies at the edge of the desert and into a neighborhood where high evapotranspiration and infiltration rates are key concerns. This study discusses how the infiltration will help to recharge the local shallow groundwater aquifer at the Old Vegas Trail. This will be achieved by reviewing groundwater depth and movement found in the nearby monitoring wells and infiltration as a whole. To achieve this, the study will also look at the annual precipitation, weather conditions, and climate that the Old Vegas Trail has received. Understanding the interaction between local geology and groundwater movement is crucial, especially in light of Nevada’s ongoing drought. If the water usage is wasteful by the surrounding neighborhood it greatly affects the struggle of conserving water in a drought. Given the drought Nevada faces, understanding local hydrology and optimizing water use is critical for conservation efforts. This study will provide actionable insights into improving water management at the Old Vegas trail by considering the role the groundwater plays in this system.