99th ESA Annual Meeting (August 10 -- 15, 2014)

FT 19

Water, Environmental Justice and Science: Exploring Issues and Best Practices for Ecologist and Community Partnerships

Learn about environmental justice (EJ) work in California and ways scientists are engaging with community members through this lunch and interactive workshop on water rights hosted by the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water, http://www.ejcw.org,  just 5 minutes from the convention center.  Lessons and strategies from EJCW partnerships, policy successes and ongoing work are a model for others.  Joining with regional scientists, California community organizations and ESA members we’ll learn about the history of water issues, current water policy, and obstacles and solutions for future work.  

The afternoon includes:

* Sharing own EJ interests, stories and challenges with EJCW members, academics and ES A-EJ section members

* Viewing the documentary film, “Thirsty for Justice: The fight for the Human Right to Water in California” and dialogue with filmmakers and community partners about lessons and strategies that are useful in other contexts

* Dialogue about lessons learned and best practices for scientists to be effectively engaged in the community, and effective ways to improve and deepen scientific engagement and relationships with community members

* Strategizing about how to build a network of scientist-experts available to respond to EJ issues in California and elsewhere

* Discussing incentives for EJ work so that scientists are valued both in academic and EJ-community worlds.

*Exploring next steps in building ongoing communities of practice and plans for ESA 2015

This event advances our mutual goal of building regional groups of experts available to provide sound science and technical skills to support community-based, EJ efforts and inform public policy.  

It is an initiative of ESA Environmental Justice Section and supported by ESA Office of Education and Diversity Programs