View Source | September 13, 2013
In an article by Phoenix Business Journal reporter Hayley Ringle, Arizona State University Sustainability Scientist and researcher John Sabo shares recent findings from his report on water scarcity in the western U.S., co-written by author Robert Glennon.
Unfortunately, Arizona's complicated mix of increasing population and development and never-ending drought makes for an unknown sustainable future. Many policymakers may turn to water rationing, but the report's authors warn that rationing is not a sustainable option.
"The threat of water rationing will be a recurring theme over the next couple decades because of the drought, growing population and inefficiency," says Sabo, also director of research development for ASU's Global Institute of Sustainability. "At some point, there is going to be rationing and it will affect pocketbooks one way or the other."
Instead, Sabo and Glennon suggest other options for water sustainability in the West: farming efficiency, municipal water re-use, and natural conservation. However, financing these options will only get more expensive as water becomes more scarce.