Developed over 18 months and co-chaired by Duke University’s Martin Doyle and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Newsha Ajami, the strategy reflects input from leaders across industry, government, and research institutions. Its core argument is that last century’s water management models, which focused on scarcity or excess in isolation, are no longer sufficient for today’s economy. Modern growth sectors, from advanced manufacturing to data-intensive computing, depend on reliable, trusted, and affordable water systems.
By explicitly linking water reliability to competitiveness, the strategy reframes disruptions from droughts, flooding, or failing infrastructure as material business risks. Water insecurity increasingly shows up as delayed projects, higher operating costs, and regional instability—factors that can affect investment decisions and long-term planning.
While the strategy underscores the need to modernize aging water infrastructure, it is clear that capital investment on its own won’t solve the problem. Institutional capacity, governance reform, and coordination across federal, state, local, and private-sector actors are positioned as equally critical.
The strategy calls for elevating water security as a national economic priority while allowing for flexible, place-based solutions. Rural systems face different challenges than fast-growing metro areas, and climate risks vary sharply between regions such as the Southwest, the Midwest, and coastal states. The report argues for national leadership that sets standards and direction, paired with local implementation that reflects real-world conditions.
It also highlights the need to accelerate adoption of water technologies, strengthen rural systems that lack basic reliability, and better prepare communities for climate-driven risks like wildfires, floods, and prolonged droughts. Governance and financing reforms are framed as necessary to align long-term resilience with economic development goals.
Rather than offering a top-down policy prescription, the Aspen National Water Strategy positions itself as a practical roadmap shaped by cross-sector dialogue. Its broader signal is clear: water is no longer a background utility. How it is governed, financed, and maintained will increasingly determine where industries locate, how communities grow, and how resilient the U.S. economy can be under mounting climate pressure.
