Behind the Scenes of the National Water Strategy

How does a National Water Strategy get created?Over the past season, Audacious Water explored the six pillars of the new National Water Strategy — the first strategy of its kind in 75 years. In this season finale, host John Sabo pulls back the curtain on the process itself: the eighteen months of closed-door meetings, the debates at the table, and even the tension between federal and state control that shaped every pillar.Along the way, he revisits the season’s best moments with Al Cho, Olga Morales-Pate, Martin Doyle, Newsha Ajami, Melissa Roberts, Raghuveer Vinukollu, Melissa Ho, Will Sarni, and John Take, reflecting on what each conversation revealed about building a water strategy for a country as large and divided as the United States.“The economy had to be the lead... That part wasn’t a negotiation. The other pillars, those definitely were.”— John Sabo, Season 5 Bonus Episode of Audacious WaterWhat You’ll Hear in This Episode:* How the National Water Strategy Was Actually Written* The Negotiation Behind the Six Pillars* Why Water Security Is Ultimately About Freedom* Why Rural Communities Can’t Grow Without Water Infrastructure First* Why the U.S. Keeps Paying More by Waiting to Act* Four Kinds of Infrastructure the Strategy Calls For* Why More Data Isn’t the Goal, Actionable Data Is* Why Diverse Project Teams Are Producing Better Water Solutions* What’s Next: Ranking America’s Critical Water SystemsHear clips from every guest this season as we take a look behind the scenes at how a water strategy was actually developed. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com