More than 150 speakers from around the world will discuss global groundwater issues, present the latest scientific and policy information about common problems, and discuss potential solutions June 28-30 at Toward Sustainable Groundwater in Agriculture: 2nd International Conference Linking Science and Policy in San Francisco.

Plenary sessions will kick off each of the three days followed by four tracks of concurrent discussions featuring renowned experts and policymakers. Two evening poster sessions/exhibits are included on the program as is an exclusive screening of the video documentary Pumped Dry: The Global Crisis of Vanishing Groundwater, a USA TODAY Network Production.

The opening plenary session June 28 will be moderated by Glenda Humiston, Vice President of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of California with speakers:

• Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture: “California’s Groundwater-Agriculture Nexus”
• Gordon Burns, Undersecretary, California Environmental Protection Agency: “California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act”
• Parry Klassen, Executive Director, East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition: “Nitrogen Fertilization in Central Valley Crops: Answering the Question “Are We Doing it Right?”

Attention will shift to global issues at the June 29 plenary with speakers: 

• Petra Döll, Professor of Hydrology, University of Frankfurt: “The Irrigation-Groundwater Nexus at the Global Scale”
• Karen Villholth, Principal Researcher, International Water Management Institute: “Contribution of Sustainable and Unsustainable Groundwater Use to Global Food Production”
• Kenneth Belitz, Chief, National Water-Quality Assessment, Groundwater Studies, U.S. Geological Survey: “National Assessment of Groundwater Quality and Changes in Groundwater Quality in Agricultural Areas, USA”
• Gabriele Ludwig, Director, Sustainability & Environmental Affairs, Almond Board of California: “Engaging Growers/Farmers in the Path Toward Sustainability”

“Stepping Toward Sustainable Groundwater in Agriculture” kicks off the third day with speakers:

• Ann Mills, Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment, U.S. Department of Agriculture: “Groundwater Sustainability in America’s Farmland?”
• Guillaume Gruere, Senior Policy Analyst, Natural Resources, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development: “What policies to manage groundwater use in agriculture? Lessons from a study of OECD countries”
• David Hyndman, Michigan State University: “Quantifying the Impact of Human activities on Water Sustainability and Crop Yields across the High Plains Aquifer using Process-Based Models”
• Anker Lajer Højberg, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Denmark: “Utilizing Natural Nitrogen Reduction in National Regulation”

The conference is at the Hyatt Regency at the San Francisco Airport in Burlingame, and is organized by the Water Education Foundation and the UC Davis Robert M. Hagan Endowed Chair. Seating is limited; register today!

Check out the draft agenda and register securely online here.