WaterSim: A coupled natural & human systems modeling tool for urban water decision-making.
By: David Sampson, PhD. Senior Sustainability Scientist at  Arizona State University
Date: July 2, 2021

Dr. Sampson is a Senior Sustainability Scientist with the Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation, and a research scientist for the Decision Center for a Desert City at ASU. David is the architect (programmer/developer) of four published biogeochemical forest process models and lead developer and programmer for the WaterSim suite of models. Dr. Sampson (and others) use WaterSim for anticipatory scenario analysis research. Teachers, students, and faculty use WaterSim to examine tradeoffs in water policy and planning strategies for the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. David is currently overseeing the development of a coupled, web-based, Food-Energy-Water model and visualization tool for Phoenix.

Abstract. Urban areas of the arid Southwest are prone to drought risk and changing precipitation patterns; the Phoenix Metropolitan Area (the “Valley”) and the Southwest in general is now in a 22 year drought with no end in sight. Unfortunately, Valley residents don’t seem to even know where their water comes from, let alone understand the complexities of water management and the uncertainties of our precious water supplies. WaterSim was envisioned as, and remains, a tool to address these disparities and to increase public awareness of the fragility of our limited water resources but also to highlight the potential policies and strategies that can be undertaken to create a sustainable Phoenix. The first WaterSim model was created in ~ 2007 to evaluate the potential influence of a few simple policy trade-offs that could help reduce the groundwater overdraft in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. There have now been seven different versions of the WaterSim model with five active versions, each with a particular focus and purpose. While some versions are still used for anticipatory scenario analyses and research, others are used for outreach and public education through platforms designed for museums and similar venues. Others, still, are strictly web-based teaching tools for middle school and high school students. And, faculty at ASU and UofA (among others) use WaterSim for teaching. This talk will review the development of WaterSim over time and the current and future capabilities of the model towards a sustainable and resilient Phoenix.