A renowned leader in water policy is the new director of The Water Institute at Gillings, focusing on real-world solutions to global water challenges.
A renowned international leader in global water policy, peace and security is the new director of The Water Institute at UNC.
Quick facts:
- 35% of NC population relies on unregulated private wells for water (the 3rd most of any state)
- 1,991 community water systems in NC
- $17B-$26B in estimated water and wastewater infrastructure needs for North Carolina over the next 20 years
Aaron Salzberg, PhD, the Don and Jennifer Holzworth Distinguished Professor, has joined the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering.
A long-established leader in water policy, Salzberg has been the lead water adviser to five secretaries of state, negotiated major international agreements, and created partnerships that strengthened the United States’ and international community’s capacity to address global water challenges.
Salzberg was the Department of State’s first special coordinator of water and chief of the Water Division within the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. During his tenure, U.S. development assistance for drinking water and sanitation increased more than tenfold in countries of significant need.
At UNC, Salzberg wants to change how the world works on water through scientific discovery, technical innovation and policy leadership. He plans to merge policy and practice to focus the Institute on
real-world solutions to water and sanitation challenges.
“People must have access to sustainable supplies of water of the right quantity and quality to survive and thrive,” Salzberg says. “Diarrheal diseases due to unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation are one
of the leading causes of death in children worldwide — this is wholly preventable. What’s more, without water, local livelihoods are lost and this becomes a source of migration and conflict and supports
terrorist recruitment.”
Salzberg succeeds Jamie Bartram, The Water Institute’s first director, who retired in June. Bartram launched The Water Institute in 2010 to “provide global academic leadership for economically, environmentally, socially and technically sustainable management of water, sanitation and hygiene for equitable health and human development.” The Institute is well-respected for policy-relevant research on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) and for facilitating international efforts to solve global WaSH issues.
