Global water systems are facing an unprecedented challenge as climate change, resource depletion, and globalization place staggering pressure on our natural resources. Dr. Raha Hakimdavar, Senior Advisor to the Deans of Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) and the Earth Commons & Founder & CEO - Zyon Space, unpacks the critical intersections of hydrology, space science, and environmental security. From analyzing how agricultural water waste and food imports impact the Arab world to detailing the vulnerabilities of desalination infrastructure, she offers a profound look at the cascading threats facing urban centers. By leveraging advanced satellite data collected from space, she reveals how tracking global groundwater levels can transform these invisible vulnerabilities into vital opportunities for international cooperation and policy reform.
00:00 Introduction
04:36 Energy, Oceans & the Cost of Innovation
06:22 Supermarket Aisles & Disconnected Systems
10:09 A Fifty-Year View from the Cosmos
14:09 Urban Budgets & Changing Taps
26:02 The Changing Anatomy of Regional Diets
30:47 Invisible Pipelines & Cascading Points
34:58 Distorting the Baseline of National Security
36:14 The Enabling Elements of Uprisings
38:06 A Landscape of Treaties
Dr. Raha Hakimdavar is a hydrologist, science policy expert, and space science leader with a proven record of innovation across government, academia, and industry. She is currently a Research Professor at the Earth Commons and Senior Advisor to the Deans at Georgetown University in Qatar and the Earth Commons, leading strategy and programs focused on environmental security, climate action, and sustainability research and education. She has active research projects in Greece (water scarcity), the Middle East (water and food security), and Indonesia (flood risk and nature based solutions), with a special focus on small islands. Dr. Hakimdavar has served as a technical consultant for UN Environment, the World Bank, and USAID on disaster risk reduction, water, and forestry projects for over a decade. Dr. Hakimdavar is also the Founder and CEO of Zyon Space, which supports emerging space agencies and organizations in the Global South in leveraging Earth observation technologies for climate and environmental resilience.
Connect with Raha Hakimdavar 👉 https://www.instagram.com/rahazhina/
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