Mitigating the Effects of Water Scarcity
Water scarcity and quality problems occur in many regions of the world, particularly in areas with semi-arid to arid climates. Combined pressures of population growth, economic development, and climate variability expose such regions to water scarcity and are inspiring exploration of alternative sources and conservation strategies.
Blue Gold refers to the availability of fresh water and the health of watersheds that are inextricably linked and increasingly tied to issues of energy and technology as human population, societal demand, and climate change intensify.
The San Diego and US-Mexico Border region provides a natural laboratory for studying water resources in the context of scarcity and change. This area is prone to challenges such urban water supply, agricultural water management, and international water conflict and cooperation that are mirrored in many other regions. Research questions, methods, and findings generated in our region are likely to have global implications.
Blue Gold is one of three SDSU Areas of Excellence Initiatives that was approved in 2015. The initiative supports new tenure-track faculty positions that are allocated to advance existing and future areas of scholarly excellence, and to foster interdisciplinary collaborations in research and creative endeavors.
News and Events
Space views to seafloors: Satellite discovery marks defining moment in tsunami science
New research from the 2025 Kamchatka earthquake reveals hidden signals helping to improve seismic and tsunami hazard assessments.
When an earthquake strikes offshore, the first questions are urgent: Could the shaking generate a tsunami, where would it approach shore and what does it mean for people along the coast?
New research led by San Diego State University assistant professor Ignacio Sepúlveda offers a way to answer those questions. In collaboration with researchers in three nations, Sepúlveda used satellite observations to capture tsunami details that are often difficult to measure with traditional tools.
