Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Brian Richter, President of Sustainable Waters and former Director of the Global Water Program of The Nature Conservancy.
Brian Richter has been a global water science and conservation leader for over 30 years. As President of Sustainable Waters, a global organization focused on water scarcity challenges, Richter promotes sustainable water use and management with governments, corporations, universities, and local communities. He previously served as Director of the Global Water Program of The Nature Conservancy, an international conservation organization. Richter has consulted on more than 170 water projects worldwide. He serves as a water advisor to some of the world’s largest corporations, investment banks, and the United Nations and has testified before the U.S. Congress on multiple occasions. He teaches Water Sustainability at the University of Virginia.
Richter has developed scientific tools and methods to support river protection and restoration efforts, including the Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration software used worldwide by water managers and scientists. Brian was featured in a BBC documentary with David Attenborough on “How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth?” He has published many scientific papers on the importance of ecologically sustainable water management in international journals. He co-authored a book with Sandra Postel entitled Rivers for Life: Managing Water for People and Nature. His latest book, Chasing Water: A Guide for Moving from Scarcity to Sustainability, has been published in five languages.