Virtually every inequity in human society has an important and often underappreciated water component, from gender and racial inequality to the disparate impacts of poverty, disease, and armed conflict. The scope and severity of these inequality challenges can feel overwhelming. Perhaps the best place to begin is at the beginning, with the fundamental molecule of life. One answer to the public policy question of how to address inequality is the oft-repeated phrase in late-night infomercials: “Just add water.”
Rhett Larson is the Richard Morrison Professor of Water Law at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and a senior research fellow with the Kyl Center for Water Policy at the Morrison Institute for Public Policy. His research focuses on the impact of technological innovation on water rights, including dispute resolution in Arizona and throughout the Colorado River Basin.
Part of the Kennedy Center's Winter 2022 lecture series, "Engaging Global Inequality."