RCAT Network: Water Challenges and Opportunities

Ann Hayden: Water Challenges & Opportunities

California water is now traded in Chicago as a commodity. With the advent of the climate crisis, this may well become a norm around the world. 3% of the planet's water is drinkable, and the vast majority is in glaciers that are shrinking into the oceans. Drought, aquifer reduction, and pollution all threaten our supply and quality.

Ann Hayden leads Environmental Defense Fund’s California Water Program as senior director of western water and resilient landscapes. This program focuses on advancing incentive-based approaches that ensure adequate water for freshwater ecosystems, improve agriculture’s resilience to climate change, and address the water needs of disadvantaged communities. For more than 18 years, Ann has built broad coalitions to advance pragmatic solutions that benefit both people and the environment. She is an expert in the development and implementation of markets that strike the right balance between ecosystem protection and the prosperity of communities.

Ann earned a B.A. in marine biology from UC Santa Cruz and an M.A. in environmental science and management from UC Santa Barbara.

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