Adriana Alejandra Zuniga

Interests

Teaching

Sustainability in the built environment; history of the built environment; urban placemaking; urban growth and development; cities

Research

Urban water security; walkable neighborhoods; greenspace and its relationship with public health, urban resilience, environmental justice, and community engagement

Courses

Scholarly Contributions

Chapters

• Pamukcu-Albers, P., Acevedo, J., Ugolini, F., Zuniga Teran, A. A., & Wu, J. (2023). Urban resilience through green infrastructure. In Adapting the Built Environment for Climate Change: Design Principles for Climate Emergencies(pp 53-69). Cambridge, MA, USA: Woordhead Publishing, Elsevier.
• Varady, R. G., Albrecht, T., Gerlak, A. K., Staddon, C., & Zuniga Teran, A. A. (2020). The water security discourse and its main actors. In Handbook of Water Resources Management. Springer.
• Varady, R. G., Albrecht, T., Gerlak, A. K., Staddon, C., & Zuniga Teran, A. A. (2021). The water security discourse and its main actors. In Handbook of Water Resources Management. Springer.
• Zuniga Teran, A. A. (2019). Urban ecology and modern life - Urban ecology. In Environmental Ethics: What Really Matters, What Really Works. Oxford University Press.
• Zuniga Teran, A. A. (2019). Urban ecology and modern life - Walkable Neighborhoods. In Environmental Ethics: What Really Matters, What Really Works. Oxford University Press.
• Zuniga Teran, A. A., & Staddon, C. (2019). Tucson, Arizona – A story of “water resilience” through diversifying water sources, demand management, and ecosystem restoration. In Resilient Water Services and Systems: The Foundations of Well-Being. IWA Publishing.
• Zuniga Teran, A. A. (2018). Green infrastructure in walkable neighborhoods: A climate change adaptation strategy for cities in drylands. In Climate change sensitive cities: building capacities for urban resilience, sustainability, and equity. PINCC, UNAM.
• Megdal, S. B., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Varady, R. G., Delano, N., Gerlak, A. K., & Vimont, E. T. (2017). Groundwater Governance in the United States: A Mosaic of Priorities and Approaches. In Advances in Groundwater Governance, edited by Karen G. Villholth, Elena Lopez-Gunn, Kirstin Conti, Alberto Garrido, Jac Van Der Gun. The Netherlands: CRC/Balkema, Taylor & Francis Group.
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  Megdal, S. B., A. Zuniga Teran, R. G. Varady, N. Delano, A. K. Gerlak, and E. T. Vimont (2017) Groundwater governance in the United States: A mosaic of approaches. In Advances in Groundwater Governance, ed. by K. Villholth, E. Lopez-Gunn, K. Conti, A. Garrido, and J. van Der Gun. Delft: CRC Balkema. pp. 483-510. ISBN 9781138029804

Journals/Publications

• Brown, A. R., Gerlak, A. K., Smith, G., Zuniga-Teran, A., & Gilson, G. (2025). Governing the nexus: Lessons from water governance in the United States. Environmental Science and Policy, 172. doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104214
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  The nexus has become an increasingly popular conceptual tool for understanding the various threats posed to natural resources by climate change and human use. Here we focus on the primary nexus elements of water, food, energy, and climate to reflect on some of the implications for contemporary freshwater governance. We propose an integrated nexus-collaborative governance approach to address complex challenges and support sustainable and equitable solutions. Using three case studies across the US—groundwater depletion, drought, and flooding—we illustrate the scope of nexus challenges, cross-sectoral trade-offs, and the potential for better water governance. We conclude with takeaways to inform nexus governance. First, decision-makers must account for and manage the various unintended consequences of resource uses and proposed solutions. Second, there is a need to better integrate environmental justice into the nexus, considering impacts to human health and well-being. We propose the local community as an effective site for engagement and innovation for nexus issues.
• Brown, A. R., Zuniga-Teran, A., Gerlak, A., Gilson, G., Smith, G., & Elder, A. (2025). Beyond Regulation: Coordinating an Environmental Federalist Response to “Forever Chemicals” in Drinking Water. Environmental Policy and Governance, 35(Issue 5). doi:10.1002/eet.70012
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  Over the past decade, there has been growing attention to the issue of contamination in drinking water from PFAS, or “forever chemicals.” While substantial scientific research has emerged regarding this issue, less is known from the perspective of governance and policy. In the US, this is partly due to a lack of meaningful action by the country's leading regulatory agencies, until recently. In the absence of federal leadership, some policy efforts have been underway at state and local levels. This research seeks to illustrate these efforts in one community where the response to PFAS contamination in municipal water has had some comparative success. In the desert community of Tucson, Arizona, in the southwestern US, agencies have gone beyond the norm to expand sampling, shut down wells, invest in mitigation technologies, engage the local community, and construct new treatment facilities. Their efforts highlight the local community as a critical site for multilevel collaboration. Still, many challenges are encountered at the local level, and these are shaped by a place's unique history, relationships, and geography. Through interviews with water officials and community leaders, we use an environmental federalism lens to better understand the roles, challenges, and local context of PFAS response. This research offers relevant insights into the complex governance of PFAS and emerging contaminants more broadly.
• Brown, A., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Gerlak, A. K., Gilson, G., Smith, G. E., & Elder, A. (2025).

  Beyond Regulation: Coordinating an Environmental Federalist Response to "Forever Chemicals" in the Water

  . Environmental Policy & Governance.
• Radonic, L., Zuniga-Teran, A. A., Gupta, N., Hovis, M. E., Kokroko, K. J., Aguilar-Murrieta, C., Gaxiola, I. E., Meziab, S., Nelson, M. L., & Sandoval, F. (2025). Learning from Bilingual Engagement Practice to Advance Justice in Climate Resilience Planning. Environmental Justice. doi:10.1089/env.2024.0076
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  While there is widespread recognition of the need to incorporate underserved minority communities into planning and design processes for just climate adaptation policies and programs, the dynamics of facilitating bilingual workshops are still significantly under-explored in the literature. This article addresses the strategies, challenges, and lessons learned from conceptualizing, preparing, and facilitating low-budget bilingual workshops for community engagement in green infrastructure (GI) planning in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The two case studies discussed are connected to multi-stakeholder initiatives aimed at involving historically underserved Hispanic communities in GI planning to address environmental justice issues. We first describe strategies to foster participation and exchanges in bilingual participatory workshops, where limited resources made professional interpretation and translation services unfeasible. We then share four lessons learned from these experiences by drawing on the successes and challenges of our approaches, and examining how cultural conceptions about language—our language ideologies—can impact community engagement in bilingual settings. The two case studies make a compelling argument for taking bilingual design and facilitation seriously to advance procedural and recognition justice in climate resilience planning through co-production in multilingual communities.
• Williams, S. A., Zuniga-Teran, A. A., Megdal, S. B., Quanrud, D. M., & Christopherson, G. (2025). Assessing the Relationship Between Groundwater Availability, Access, and Contamination Risk in Arizona’s Drinking Water Sources. Water (Switzerland), 17(Issue 7). doi:10.3390/w17071097
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  Groundwater is a critical drinking water source in arid regions globally, where reliance on groundwater is highest. However, disparities in groundwater availability, access, and quality pose challenges to water security. This case study employs geostatistical tools, multivariate regression, and clustering analysis to examine the intersection of groundwater level changes (availability), socioeconomic and regulatory factors (access), and nitrate and arsenic contamination (quality) across 1881 groundwater-supplied drinking water service areas in Arizona. Groundwater availability declined over 20-year and 10-year periods, particularly outside designated management areas, with mean annual decline rates ranging from −15.97 to −0.003 m/year. In contrast, increases (0.003 to 13.41 m/year) were concentrated in urban and managed areas. Karst aquifers show long-term resilience but short-term vulnerability. Non-designated areas exhibit mixed effects, reflecting variable management effectiveness. Disparities in groundwater access emerge along various socioeconomic and regulatory lines. Communities with higher Black populations are twice as likely (OR = 2.01, p < 0.001) to experience groundwater declines, while Hispanic/Latino communities have lower depletion risks (OR = 0.92, p < 0.001). Tribal oversight significantly reduces groundwater decline risk (OR = 0.62, p < 0.001), whereas state–primacy areas show mixed effects. Higher female populations correlate with increased groundwater declines, while older populations (65+) experience greater stability. Married-family households and institutional housing are associated with greater declines. Migrant worker housing shows protective effects in long-term models. Rising groundwater levels are associated with higher nitrate and arsenic detection, reinforcing recharge-driven contaminant mobilization. Nitrate exceedance (OR = 1.05) responds more to short-term groundwater changes, while arsenic exceedance persists over longer timescales (OR = 1.01–1.05), reflecting their distinct hydrogeochemical behaviors. Community water systems show higher pollutant detection rates than domestic well areas, suggesting monitoring and infrastructure differences influence contamination patterns. Tribal primacy areas experience lower groundwater declines but show mixed effects on water quality, with reduced nitrate exceedance probabilities; yet they show variable arsenic contamination patterns, suggesting that governance influences availability and contamination dynamics. These findings advance groundwater sustainability research by quantifying disparities across multiple timescales and socio-hydrogeological drivers of groundwater vulnerability. The results underscore the need for expanded managed aquifer recharge, targeted regulatory interventions, and strengthened Tribal water governance to reduce inequities in availability, access, and contamination risk to support equitable and sustainable groundwater management.
• Williams, S., Megdal, S., Zuniga-Teran, A., Quanrud, D., & Christopherson, G. (2025). Mapping Groundwater Vulnerability in Arid Regions: A Comparative Risk Assessment Using Modified DRASTIC Models, Land Use, and Climate Change Factors. Land, 14(1). doi:10.3390/land14010058
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  Groundwater vulnerability in arid regions is increasingly influenced by land use changes and climate variability. This study evaluates groundwater vulnerability and contamination risk in the arid/semi-arid Verde River Basin and Prescott Active Management Area using four models: DRASTIC, DRASTIC-LUCC, DRASTIC-LUCC-AHP2, and DRASTIC-LUCC-AHP4. Modifications to the traditional DRASTIC model, including the integration of land use and climate factors and the application of AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) to refine variable weighting, significantly enhanced predictive accuracy. Results demonstrate that models incorporating land use and climate data outperform the traditional approach. The DRASTIC-LUCC model identified elevated nitrate concentrations in high-vulnerability areas, while DRASTIC-LUCC-AHP2 exhibited the greatest sensitivity in classifying vulnerability. Karst aquifers were particularly susceptible due to their high permeability and rapid contaminant transport. Recommendations include routinely integrating land use and climate data into vulnerability assessments, enforcing land use controls in high-risk zones, promoting adaptive management practices, and raising public awareness to mitigate contamination risks. This framework offers actionable strategies for improving groundwater protection and sustainable management in arid and semi-arid regions facing water security challenges.
• Zuniga-Teran, A. A., Kokroko, K. J., Radonic, L. M., Hovis, M. E., Brown, A. R., Gaxiola, I. E., Sandoval, F., Bryson, M., Aguilar-Murrieta, C., Rodriguez-Ponce, O. A., Baldwin, B., Gupta, N., Cortez, L. I., & Barron-Gafford, G. A. (2025). Beyond native plants: Aligning greening programs with disadvantaged communities’ landscape needs for more equitable green infrastructure planning. Geoforum, 166. doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2025.104393
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  Cities worldwide are turning to greening programs to adapt to climate change and increase urban resilience. These programs are particularly needed in disadvantaged neighborhoods, typically less vegetated and more vulnerable to severe heat and flooding. Drawing from environmental justice scholarship, we argue that it is necessary to recognize minority viewpoints and perspectives in green infrastructure planning and align greening programs accordingly to effectively reach disadvantaged communities. This study fills this gap by examining the alignment of greening programs with the viewpoints and perspectives of disadvantaged communities in Tucson, Arizona, a city leader in greening policies, albeit with inequities in the adoption of such policies and in greenspace distribution. We engaged low-income, predominantly Hispanic communities to identify residential plant preferences and understand the reasons for plant selection. Findings reveal a misalignment between the main drivers of greening programs and those of disadvantaged communities. To advance justice in green infrastructure planning in desert cities, we call for adopting a multifunctional approach to greening that recognizes the benefits and values sought by disadvantaged communities, acknowledges water as the key equity resource, and supports local leaders, engagement efforts, and partnerships.
• Zuniga-Teran, A., Brown, A., & Gerlak, A. (2025). The Evolution of Public Engagement in United States Environmental Governance: A Justice-Centered Framework. Society and Natural Resources, 38(Issue 5). doi:10.1080/08941920.2025.2463064
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  Public engagement in environmental governance in the United States (US) has evolved from an initial regulatory approach to a more targeted effort to consider the input of the most impacted communities in decision-making. However, we are still learning about the efficacy of participatory processes in overcoming power asymmetries and achieving environmental justice. We argue that changing forms of engagement have led to an opportunity to embed justice in environmental governance. To illustrate this, we trace the evolution of public engagement toward environmental justice despite ongoing backlash. We explore changing definitions of stakeholders, engagement models, and the translation of processes into outcomes. To illustrate the scope and evolution of the public’s changing role, we examine forest management and water governance in the US–two highly significant issue areas in environmental governance. Finally, we offer a framework for justice-centered engagement and propose recommendations for practitioners and researchers to advance justice in environmental governance.
• Albrecht, T. R., Gerlak, A. K., & Zuniga-Teran, A. A. (2024). Viewpoint ─ Urban Water Conservation and Sustainability in the Colorado River Basin. Water Alternatives, 17(Issue 3).
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  Many cities around the world are facing the challenges of freshwater decline and groundwater degradation, compounded by population growth. In the southwestern United States, these challenges are amplified. In that region, many growing cities depend on water from the Colorado River Basin, which is faced with aridification and record-low surface water supplies. Despite these unprecedented trends in Colorado River flows, however, many basin cities are enhancing their water security through a combination of supply diversification and water conservation. We draw from key academic and practitioner studies to better understand which conservation strategies are employed, how water providers evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies, and what role urban water conservation has played in the Colorado River Basin. Our examination of the contributions and limitations of urban water conservation under Colorado River Basin drought conditions reveals how the political dimensions of urban water conservation influence the ability to fully realise the potential of conservation in broader basin governance and sustainability. We call for improved assessment and monitoring of conservation efforts, advancement of holistic approaches, and the addressing of key political and equity dimensions as ways to improve urban water conservation efforts and, more realistically, situate them in the context of basin wide sustainability.
• Friedrich, H., Friedrich, H., Sullivan, E. M., Tellman Sullivan, E. M., Sullivan, J. A., Tellman Sullivan, J. A., Saunders, A., Saunders, A., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Bakkensen, L., Bakkensen, L., Cawley, M., Cawley, M., Dolk, M., Dolk, M., Emberson, R., Emberson, R., Stevens, F., , Stevens, F., et al. (2023).

  Earth Observation to Monitor and Redress Inequitable Post-Flood Recovery

  . Earths Future.
• Friedrich, H., Tellman, B., Sullivan, J., Saunders, A., Zuniga-Teran, A., Bakkensen, L., Cawley, M., Dolk, M., Emberson, R., Forrest, S., Gupta, N., Gyawali, N., Hall, C., Kettner, A., Lozano, J., & Bola, G. (2024). Earth Observation to Address Inequities in Post-Flood Recovery. Earth's Future, 12(2). doi:10.1029/2023EF003606
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  Floods impact communities worldwide, resulting in loss of life, damaged infrastructure and natural assets, and threatened livelihoods. Climate change and urban development in flood-prone areas will continue to worsen flood-related losses, increasing the urgency for effective tools to monitor recovery. Many Earth Observation (EO) applications exist for flood-hazard monitoring and provide insights on location, timing, and extent in near real-time and historically to estimate flood risk. Less attention has been paid to flood recovery, even though differing recovery rates and outcomes can have immediate and enduring distributional effects within communities. EO data are uniquely positioned to monitor post-flood recovery and inform policy on hazard mitigation and adaptation but remain underutilized. We encourage the EO and flood research community to refocus on developing flood recovery applications to address growing risk. Translation of EO insights on flood recovery among flood-affected communities and decision-makers is necessary to address underlying social vulnerabilities that exacerbate inequitable recovery outcomes and advocate for redressing injustices where disparate recovery is observed. We identify an unequivocal need for EO to move beyond mapping flood hazard and exposure toward post-flood recovery monitoring to inform recovery across geographic contexts. This commentary proposes a framework for remote sensing scientists to engage community-based partners to integrate EO with non-EO data to advance flood recovery monitoring, characterize inequitable recovery, redistribute resources to mitigate inequities, and support risk reduction of future floods.
• Lara-Valencia, F., Zuniga-Teran, A., & García-Pérez, H. (2024). Crossed by the border: children’s lived experiences with flooding in an urbanized transborder watershed. Children's Geographies. doi:10.1080/14733285.2024.2397733
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  This article analyzes the differential effect of the US-Mexico border on the lived experience of children exposed to flooding risk in an urbanized transborder watershed. The central argument is that this geopolitical border is an institution generative of social and spatial processes that create and thrive on differences and expose children on both sides of the border to high but unequal hazard levels. We pose that children’s bifurcated experiences with rain evince the border’s structuring power as a supra institution producing a socio-spatial regime that enables environmental inequities producing disparate representations of place. Understanding children’s lived experiences is critical to reducing their vulnerability in a highly integrated cross-border urbanization. Framed as a case study based on qualitative data obtained through narratives and visual elicitation techniques, the analysis reveals children’s experiences with flooding and associated hazards that have not been exposed in prior border research and have important implications for integrated disaster management, environmental justice, and resilience in border regions and cities.
• Le Tourneau, F., Fisher, L., Zuniga-Teran, A., Wilder, B., Boyer, A., Blanchon, D., & Dubertret, F. (2024). The socio-ecological complexity of facing climate change: a case study from Pima County (Arizona, USA). Comptes Rendus - Geoscience, 356. doi:10.5802/crgeos.267
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  Socio-ecological systems are in constant transformation and adaptation, with dynamic and constant interaction between the social and environmental dimensions. This reality requires interdisciplinary studies, or a holistic approach sometimes referred to as “global ecology”, to address that complexity at every level in their analysis. “Human-environment observatories” (Observatoires Hommes-Milieux, OHM) are an ideal setting to develop such studies since they are inherently interdisciplinary and develop both short and long-term perspectives on specific socio-ecological systems. Pima County observatory (OHMi-PC), located in Arizona (USA), is one of the 13 “Human-Environment observatories” of the DRIIHM LabEx. In this paper, we show how we can apply the DRIIHM framework to Pima County and how this allows for innovative interdisciplinary approaches of issues related to environmental and human dynamics in southeastern Arizona, such as the dynamics of wildfires, which we show to be related to human as well as environmental factors, the restauration of the Santa Cruz river, which we analyze as ambiguous in terms of ecology, or the Cienega creek area, where the OHMi-PC has been involved in local landscape conservation efforts.
• Seay-Fleming, C., Brown, A., Gerlak, A., Bieber, K., Zuniga-Teran, A., & Sugg, Z. (2024). Engaging farmers in water governance in the Western United States: lessons from the Colorado River Basin. Socio-Ecological Practice Research, 6(4). doi:10.1007/s42532-024-00203-y
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  The Colorado River Basin (CRB) is central to many sectors in the Western United States, including agriculture, ecology, recreation, and urban water supplies, but it faces shortage and conflict. Because agriculture is the CRB’s main water user, leaders are increasingly looking for ways to engage farmers and ranchers in water conservation efforts. In this perspective essay, we reflect on the state of public engagement with agricultural producers in the CRB in the United States. We describe some positive trends in public engagement in the Basin that may lead toward more inclusive and effective outcomes. At the same time, we flag four areas where there is still opportunity for improving engagement with farmers in water conservation: (1) the fragmentation of water governance and engagement activities; (2) the need to bridge the research-practice divide; (3) the necessity of fostering more equitable and inclusive engagement practices; and (4) the challenge of translating engagement trends into effective, sustainable practices. These reflections are relevant for those looking to support engagement with agricultural producers in the management of water resources, but also for anyone engaging across sectors to manage complex socio-environmental systems.
• Williams, S., Megdal, S., Zuniga-Teran, A., Quanrud, D., & Christopherson, G. (2024). Equity Assessment of Groundwater Vulnerability and Risk in Drinking Water Supplies in Arid Regions. Water (Switzerland), 16(23). doi:10.3390/w16233520
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  Groundwater is a vital drinking water source, especially in arid regions, sustaining both urban and rural populations. Its quality is influenced by natural (hydrogeological) and human-driven (demographic, policy) factors, which may pose significant public health risks, especially for communities relying on unregulated water supplies. This study addresses critical gaps by examining groundwater vulnerability and contamination disparities, emphasizing their implications for public health and equitable resource management. It analyzes the impact of socio-hydrogeological factors on arsenic and nitrate levels in groundwater-supplied systems in Arizona, U.S. Methods include spatial analysis, ANOVA, multivariate regression, and cluster analysis. Significant disparities in arsenic and nitrate contamination, including exceedances of regulatory limits, were observed across supply types, aquifer characteristics, jurisdictional oversights, and groundwater management areas. Domestic wells and community water systems showed distinct contamination risks. Groundwater vulnerability was influenced by geological differences (karst vs. alluvial aquifers) and regulatory oversight, with Tribal and State systems facing unique challenges and resource needs. Socioeconomic disparities were evident, with minority communities, institutional facilities, rural areas, and specific housing types disproportionately exposed to higher contaminant levels. These findings unveil the intersection of race, socioeconomic status, and public health risks, offering an adaptable framework for addressing similar groundwater challenges in arid and semi-arid regions globally. This study is innovative in its focus on policy distinctions between private and regulated wells, karst and alluvial aquifers, and State and Tribal jurisdictions. It emphasizes the need for targeted vulnerability assessments and remediation strategies that integrate geological, hydrological, and regulatory factors to address risk disparities in vulnerable communities. These environmental inequities underscore the urgent need for stronger regulations and strategic resource allocation to support marginalized communities. The study recommends enhancing monitoring protocols, prioritizing resource distribution, and implementing targeted policy interventions to ensure equitable and sustainable access to safe drinking water in arid regions.
• Armenta-Ramirez, I. S., Reyes-Castro, P. A., Zuniga-Teran, A. A., & Olmedo-Munoz, M. (2023). The urban structure and pedestrian injuries: A typological analysis of pedestrian crashes in the city of Hermosillo, Mexico. Traffic injury prevention, 24(5), 428-435.
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  In this study, we aim to identify social typologies of pedestrian crashes considering demographics, health impacts, involved vehicle, temporality of the collision, and place of impact in Hermosillo, Mexico.
• Armenta-Ramirez, I., Reyes-Castro, P., Zuniga-Teran, A., & Olmedo-Munoz, M. (2023). The urban structure and pedestrian injuries: A typological analysis of pedestrian crashes in the city of Hermosillo, Mexico. Traffic Injury Prevention, 24(5). doi:10.1080/15389588.2023.2204386
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  Objective: In this study, we aim to identify social typologies of pedestrian crashes considering demographics, health impacts, involved vehicle, temporality of the collision, and place of impact in Hermosillo, Mexico. Methods: A socio-spatial analysis was performed by using local urban planning information and vehicles-pedestrian crashes records collected by the police department (N = 950) between 2014 and 2017. Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis were used to determine typologies. Geographical distribution of typologies was obtained with spatial analysis techniques. Results: The results suggest there are four typologies, which portray the physical vulnerability of pedestrians, which reflect the vulnerability to collisions associated to the variables age, gender, and street speed limits. Findings show that children are more likely to be injured during weekends in residential zones (Typology 1), while older females are more likely to be injured during the first three days of the week (Monday–Wednesday) in the downtown area (Typology 2). Injured males during the afternoon in arterial streets represented the most frequent cluster (Typology 3). Also, males were likely to be severely injured by heavy trucks during nighttime in peri-urban areas (Typology 4). These findings indicate that vulnerability and risk exposure vary according to the type of pedestrian involved in the crash, which are linked to the types of places they visit. Conclusions: The design of the built environment plays a major role in the number of pedestrian injuries particularly when it favors motor vehicles over pedestrians or non-motorized vehicles. Because traffic crashes are considered preventable events, cities must embrace a diversity of mobility modes and incorporate the appropriate infrastructures that safeguard the lives of all their travelers, especially pedestrians.
• Hovis, M., Cubbage, F., Smith, G., Zuniga-Teran, A., Varady, R., Shear, T., Chizmar, S., Lupek, M., Baldwin, M., Fox, A., Sand, A., Potter, T., Lovejoy, M., Larick, K., & Evans, B. (2023). Estimating landowners' willingness to accept payments for nature-based solutions in eastern North Carolina for flood hazard mitigation using the contingent valuation method. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 78(Issue 6). doi:10.2489/jswc.2023.00131
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  FloodWise is a pilot program that proposes nature-based solutions (NBS) for flood hazard mitigation (risk reduction) in eastern North Carolina to control stormwater runoff for brief periods of time. The program would provide financial incentives and technical assistance to rural landowners to adopt NBS on their properties. In this study, we assessed landowners' willingness to accept (WTA) payments for adopting NBS on their properties using a payment card contingent valuation method (CVM) via a mail survey. Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) incentivize landowners to participate in conservation efforts, as well as provide additional opportunities for revenue. Factors such as income, age, contract term length, revenue lost from previous storm events, and size of farm operation influenced one's willingness to accept payments. The payment levels required for traditional farm conservation practices and NBS flood control practices were not significantly different, indicating that past program methods could help guide new FloodWise or similar NBS efforts. These results can help guide new NBS program development and funding deliberations in North Carolina, and perhaps other rural locations in the US Southeast.
• Lara-Valencia, F., Coronado, I., Mumme, S., Brown, C., Ganster, P., García-Pérez, H., Lybecker, D., Megdal, S. B., Sanchez, R., Sweedler, A., Varady, R. G., & Zuniga-Teran, A. (2023). Water Management on the U.S.-Mexico Border: Achieving Water Sustainability and Resilience through Cross-Border Cooperation. Journal of Borderlands Studies, 38(Issue 2). doi:10.1080/08865655.2023.2168294
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  Shortly after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2021, Commissioner Maria Elena Giner called for input into issues of importance to the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC). Responding to her call, a group of border scholars committed to producing a white paper entitled “Water Management on the U.S.-Mexico Border: Achieving Water Sustainability and Resilience through Cross-Border Cooperation”. This document was presented to Commissioner Giner at the spring 2022 ABS Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado. This commentary outlines the main ideas and recommendations in this white paper, which are intended to strengthen the USIBWC's ability to respond to the challenges of U.S.-Mexico border water management in the 21st century. The paper recognizes the IBWC's long history of handling binational water issues effectively and its demonstrated capacity to respond and adapt to the border region's changing social, political, and environmental conditions. The commentary is capped with Commissioner Giner's response to the white paper, including her commitment to work with the academic community in both countries in creating an IBWC's binational science advisory group, as recommended in the white paper.
• Ochoa, R., Zuniga-Teran, A., Scott, C., Vasquez, T., Buechler, S., Valencia, J., Gómez, L., Martínez-Molina, K., & Peña, S. (2023). Cross-border sanitation project evaluation in Ambos Nogales. Identifying the homogeneous from the diverse. Estudios Fronterizos, 24. doi:10.21670/ref.2311122
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  This article aims to characterize the Ambos Nogales population according to the opinions of the impacts generated by the expansion and modernization cross-border sanitation system project during 2000-2018 and identify ex post evaluation criteria to strengthen governance strategies for the public policies on water and sanitation. A representative random survey was applied at the city level. The information analysis was performed using the hierarchical cluster and multiple correspondence analysis methods. The results show the formation of groups of cities or population segments with high internal homogeneity and high intergroup heterogeneity. This empirical evidence allows us to build a typology of public opinion. Finally, to improve public opinion on this project, a series of actions aimed at promoting sustainable transboundary governance are proposed.
• Radonic, L., & Zuniga Teran, A. A. (2023). When governing urban waters differently: Five tenets for socio-environmental justice. Sustainability, 15(2), 19.
• Radonic, L., & Zuniga-Teran, A. (2023). When Governing Urban Waters Differently: Five Tenets for Socio-Environmental Justice in Urban Climate Adaptation Interventions. Sustainability (Switzerland), 15(Issue 2). doi:10.3390/su15021598
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  Municipalities, their utilities and resource managers are designing and implementing policies and programs toward climate adaptation, which means governing urban water resources differently. Urban water managers are thus expanding their roles and responsibilities through the installation and maintenance of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) systems. This system expansion is perhaps more striking for water utilities administering GSI-related programs because they acquire a role that has an impact on how residents and neighborhoods will differentially experience the effects of climate change. Through an in-depth qualitative study of a GSI program in Tucson, Arizona, USA, we contribute to the socio-environmental justice framework with specific attention to distributive, procedural, recognition, interactional, and mobility justice. We highlight that a socio-environmental justice approach requires resource managers and decision-makers to recognize and respect the ways in which people’s everyday relationship to water and water infrastructure is impacted by culturally mediated social norms and values, as well as legacies of exclusion and inclusion in urban development and resource governance. Thus, we argue that discussions around water equity in urban water governance need to be placed within a socio-environmental justice framework to address historical inequalities and ensure these are not reproduced through GSI.
• Schwartz, P., Zuniga-Teran, A., Lara-Valencia, F., Gil Anaya, C., Marruffo, J., Rodriguez Ponce, O., Holtzman, Z., Díaz Montemayor, G., & García-Pérez, H. (2023). Pathways to Greening Border Cities: A Policy Analysis for Green Infrastructure in Ambos Nogales. Land, 12(4). doi:10.3390/land12040781
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  Green infrastructure (GI) has been proposed as a decentralized solution to complex urban water management issues. However, public policy remains a critical challenge for the wide adoption of GI, which is exacerbated in transboundary settings. We draw from public policy theory to analyze GI policies at the US–Mexico border. We examine the case of Ambos Nogales—two sister cities grappling with complex water management challenges. We examined existing policies and evaluated their impact on the implementation of GI at multiple levels (local, state, national, and binational). We also conducted interviews and a focus group with stakeholders. Our analysis unveils a set of barriers to the adoption of GI and a suite of opportunities for the enactment of GI policies. We outline five pathways for greening border cities, including (i) creating market-based GI incentives, (ii) adopting the net-zero urban water approach, (iii) engaging with existing institutions for greening efforts, (iv) planning for a GI network at the watershed scale, and (v) supporting local champions. By addressing shortcomings of policy and regulatory frameworks hindering local capacity, border cities will be more likely to adopt and widely implement GI solutions for more sustainable urban water management.
• De Vito, L., Staddon, C., Zuniga-Teran, A. A., Gerlak, A. K., Schoeman, Y., Hart, A., & Booth, G. (2022). Aligning green infrastructure to sustainable development: A geographical contribution to an ongoing debate. Area, 54(Issue 2). doi:10.1111/area.12764
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  Blue and green infrastructure (BGI) is increasingly viewed as a promising solution to promoting a shift beyond traditionally engineered “grey” approaches towards more socially and environmentally sustainable infrastructure systems. The specific insights of geographical scholarship on how to address issues of processes, scale, and place in BGI design, implementation, and long-term management would help unlock the potential for BGI to be appropriate and inclusive, as well as support environmentally sound solutions. In this paper we unpack issues of processes for inclusive decision-making to design and implement BGI projects that can advance sustainable development. We present an assessment framework and its application to two case studies that highlight the potential for better alignment of BGI projects to the three pillars of sustainable development and that reveal key research challenges that geographical scholarship could address. We believe that co-produced geographical research in this domain is well placed to tackle these research challenges.
• Gerlak, A. K., Blue, B., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Colella, A., Alison, E., Molli, B., Neha, G., Yang, B., Tara, D., Stella, H., James, M., Karen, H., Amy, M., & Keaton, W. (2022). A collaborative effort to address maintenance of green infrastructure through a university-community partnership. Socio-Ecological Practice, online.
• Ocampo Melgar, A., Lutz Ley, A., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Cerda, C., & Goirán, S. (2022). Zonas áridas de Latinoamérica: Desafíos y oportunidades para un desarrollo sostenible. Metode Science Studies Journal, 83-89.
• Zuniga Teran, A. A., Fisher, L. A., Meixner, T., François-Michel, L. T., & Frank, P. (2021). Stakeholder participation, indicators, assessment, and decision making: Applying adaptive management at the watershed scale. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 20.
• Zuniga Teran, A. A., Gonzalez-Méndez, B., Scarpitti, C., Yang, B., Murrieta-Saldivar, J., Pineda, I., Peñuñuri, G., Hinojosa-Robles, E., Soto, K., Müller, S., & Valencia, J. (2022).

  Greenbelt implementation in arid lands through soil reconditioning and landscape design: The case of Hermosillo, Mexico

  . Land, 11(2130), 27.
• Zuniga-Teran, A. A., Fisher, L. A., Meixner, T., Le Tourneau, F. M., & Postillion, F. (2022). Stakeholder participation, indicators, assessment, and decision-making: applying adaptive management at the watershed scale. Environmental monitoring and assessment, 194(3), 156.
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  Climate change, population growth, and declining federal budgets are threatening the health of ecosystems, and the services they provide. Under these changing conditions, managing landscapes and resources assumes new and unprecedented challenges. Adaptive management has been identified as a natural resource management approach that allows practitioners to incorporate change and uncertainty into decision-making through an iterative process that involves long-term monitoring and continued review and adjustment of management actions. However, the success of these efforts in watershed health relies on the collective and sustained monitoring of indicators, which is seldom studied. The purpose of this analysis is to examine (1) the practical challenge of choosing a list of indicators for long-term monitoring, (2) the negotiation process among stakeholders around the selection and interpretation of indicators, and (3) the communication tools that can be used to convey the assessment's results and findings. To do this, we analyze our ongoing work in the Cienega Watershed in southern Arizona. Our analysis shows that the selective use of indicators, regular assessment and review, and establishment of partnerships among stakeholders are all important elements in establishing effective adaptive management efforts. The selection of indicators and data sources is a moving target that requires regular consensus and review among stakeholders. The assessment itself is also a powerful engagement tool with the public at large, providing legitimacy and support to land management decision-making. Here, we outline some lessons learned that can be transferred to other cases and identify potential barriers for engagement, decision-making, and project success.
• Zuniga-Teran, A., Fisher, L., Meixner, T., Le Tourneau, F., & Postillion, F. (2022). Stakeholder participation, indicators, assessment, and decision-making: applying adaptive management at the watershed scale. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 194(3). doi:10.1007/s10661-021-09741-4
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  Climate change, population growth, and declining federal budgets are threatening the health of ecosystems, and the services they provide. Under these changing conditions, managing landscapes and resources assumes new and unprecedented challenges. Adaptive management has been identified as a natural resource management approach that allows practitioners to incorporate change and uncertainty into decision-making through an iterative process that involves long-term monitoring and continued review and adjustment of management actions. However, the success of these efforts in watershed health relies on the collective and sustained monitoring of indicators, which is seldom studied. The purpose of this analysis is to examine (1) the practical challenge of choosing a list of indicators for long-term monitoring, (2) the negotiation process among stakeholders around the selection and interpretation of indicators, and (3) the communication tools that can be used to convey the assessment’s results and findings. To do this, we analyze our ongoing work in the Cienega Watershed in southern Arizona. Our analysis shows that the selective use of indicators, regular assessment and review, and establishment of partnerships among stakeholders are all important elements in establishing effective adaptive management efforts. The selection of indicators and data sources is a moving target that requires regular consensus and review among stakeholders. The assessment itself is also a powerful engagement tool with the public at large, providing legitimacy and support to land management decision-making. Here, we outline some lessons learned that can be transferred to other cases and identify potential barriers for engagement, decision-making, and project success.
• Elder, A., Sanderford, A. R., Gerlak, A. K., Zuniga Teran, A. A., & Pavao-Zuckerman, M. (2021). Agency and Governance in Green Infrastructure Policy Adoption and Change. Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning. doi:10.1080/1523908X.2021.1910018
• Gerlak, A. K., Elder, A., Thomure, T., Shipek, C., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Pavao-Zuckerman, M., Gupta, N., Mastler, M., Lena, B., Henry, A. D., Yang, B., Murrieta-Saldivar, J., & Meixner, T. (2021). Green infrastructure: Lessons in governance and collaboration from Tucson. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 63(3). doi:10.1080/00139157.2021.1898894
• Zuniga Teran, A. A., Gerlak, A. K., Elder, A. D., & Tam, A. (2021). The unjust distribution of urban green infrastructure is just the tip of the iceberg: A systematic review of place-based studies. Environmental Science and Policy, 126, 234-245.
• Zuniga-teran, A. A., Mussetta, P. C., Ley, A. N., Gerlak, A. K., & Diaz-caravantes, R. E. (2021). Analyzing water policy impacts on vulnerability: Cases across the rural-urban continuum in the arid Americas. Environmental Development, 38, 100552. doi:10.1016/j.envdev.2020.100552
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  Abstract Climate change is posing emerging threats to people and the environment, particularly in arid regions. However, some groups are more vulnerable than others, depending on their levels of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity, which are determined by climatic and non-climatic factors. In water-scarce environments, water policies become key non-climatic factors that affect vulnerability yet enable modifications if their impacts unintentionally exacerbate vulnerability. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the impacts of water policies on vulnerability, particularly for disadvantaged groups. In this paper, we analyze four cases in the arid Americas that illustrate an array of challenges at different scales and across the rural-urban continuum: (1) irrigated oases in Mendoza, Argentina, where groundwater and surface water management are disconnected; (2) rural communities in central Sonora, Mexico, where local water rights have been transferred to large scale mining; (3) peri-urban marginalized neighborhoods in Hermosillo, Mexico, where competition for water is driving changes in land use; and (4) underserved communities in Tucson, Arizona, USA who are left behind in a rainwater harvesting movement. Our analysis shows that water policies in arid regions interact with land and neoliberal policies between sectors across different scales, exacerbating vulnerabilities disproportionately in less privileged groups and enhancing disparities. Here, we offer recommendations for more inclusive policymaking processes that can build capacity, protect the livelihoods of disadvantaged groups, and reduce their vulnerability to climate change.
• Zuniga-teran, A. A., Shrestha, P. P., Scott, C. A., Pincetl, S., Meixner, T., Mack, E. A., Lansey, K. E., Duan, J. G., Daigger, G. T., Crosson, C., Cath, T. Y., Boccelli, D. L., Albrecht, T. R., & Achilli, A. (2021). Net Zero Urban Water from Concept to Applications: Integrating Natural, Built, and Social Systems for Responsive and Adaptive Solutions. ACS ES&T Water, 1(3), 518-529. doi:10.1021/acsestwater.0c00180
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  Innovation in urban water systems is required to address drivers of change across natural, built, and social systems, including climate change, economic development, and aged infrastructure. Water ...
• Zuniga-teran, A. A., Zilio, M. I., Velez, M. I., Varady, R. G., Scott, C. A., Rusak, J. A., Pineda, N., Piccolo, M. C., Perillo, G. M., Neto, A. R., Mussetta, P., Montenegro, S. M., Meza, F., Martin, F. N., Hoyos, N., Harmon, T. C., Escobar, J., & Diaz-caravantes, R. E. (2021). Do ecosystem insecurity and social vulnerability lead to failure of water security. Environmental Development, 38, 100606. doi:10.1016/j.envdev.2020.100606
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  Abstract Achieving water security for humans and ecosystems is a pervasive challenge globally. Extensive areas of the Americas are at significant risk of water insecurity, resulting from global-change processes coupled with regional and local impacts. Drought, flooding, and water quality challenges pose significant threats, while at the same time, rapid urban expansion, competing water demands, river modifications, and expanding global markets for water-intensive agricultural products drive water insecurity. This paper takes a social-ecological systems perspective, aiming to identify examples and pathways towards resilient ecosystems and social development. It draws on lessons from two science-policy network projects, one focusing on water scarcity in arid and semi-arid regions of Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Peru, Mexico and the United States; and the second addressing river and lake basins as sentinels of climate variability and human effects on water quantity and quality in Canada, the United States, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay and Chile. Together, these ‘complementary contrasts’ provide an analytical basis to empirically examine stakeholder engagement, knowledge co-production and science-policy interaction supporting decision-making to achieve water security. The paper identifies four tenets for decision-making based on water-security-focused global-change science in the Americas: 1) Decision makers should focus on protecting ecosystems because water security (along with food and energy security) depend on them; 2) Water-use and allocation decisions ought to be made considering future environmental and societal vulnerabilities, especially climate projections; 3) Holistic approaches (at basin or other appropriate levels) are best suited to ensure social-ecological system resilience and reduce vulnerability; and 4) It is essential to support local/traditional livelihoods, and underserved populations to achieve equitable water security and ecosystem resilience.
• David, B., Frederick, T., François-Michel, L. T., & Zuniga Teran, A. A. (2020). Sentinel Territories: A new concept to look at environmental change. Metropolitics.
• Diaz-Caravantes, R., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Martin, F., Bernabeu, M., Scott, C., & Stoker, P. A. (2020). Urban Water Security: A comparative study of cities in the arid Americas. Environment & Urbanization, 1-20.
• Ernst, K. C., Varady, R. G., Mukherjee, A., Gerlak, A. K., Wilder, M. O., Mayer, B. M., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Albrecht, T., Lemos, M. C., Lemos, M. C., Albrecht, T., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Mayer, B. M., Wilder, M. O., Mukherjee, A., Gerlak, A. K., Varady, R. G., & Ernst, K. C. (2020). The exigencies of transboundary water security: Insights on community resilience. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 44, 74-84.
• Gerlak, A. K., & Zuniga Teran, A. A. (2020). Addressing injustice in green infrastructure through socio-ecological practice: What is the role of university-community partnerships?. Socio-Ecological Practice Research, 2, 149-159.
• Lansey, K. E., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Evans, T., Gerlak, A. K., Mayer, B. M., Mayer, B. M., Gerlak, A. K., Evans, T., Zuniga Teran, A. A., & Lansey, K. E. (2020). A multidimensional assessment of urban resilience from green infrastructure systems. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 44, 42-47.
• Lutz-Ley, A. N., Scott, C. A., Wilder, M., Varady, R. G., Ocampo-Melgar, A., Lara-Valencia, F., Zuniga-Teran, A. A., Buechler, S., Díaz-Caravantes, R., Ribeiro Neto, A., Pineda-Pablos, N., & Martín, F. (2020). Dialogic science-policy networks for water security governance in the arid Americas. Environmental development, 100568.
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  Addressing wicked problems challenging water security requires participation from multiple stakeholders, often with conflicting visions, complicating the attainment of water-security goals and heightening the need for integrative and effective science-policy interfaces. Sustained multi-stakeholder dialogues within science-policy networks can improve adaptive governance and water system resilience. This paper describes what we define as "dialogic science-policy networks," or interactions -- both in structural and procedural terms -- between scientists and policy-makers that are: 1) interdisciplinary, 2) international (here, inter-American), 3) cross-sectoral, 4) open, 5) continual and iterative in the long-term, and 6) flexible. By fostering these types of interactions, dialogic networks achieve what we call the 4-I criteria for effective science-policy dialogues: inclusivity, involvement, interaction, and influence. Here we present several water-security research and action projects where some of these attributes may be present. Among these, a more comprehensive form of a dialogic network was intentionally created via AQUASEC, a virtual center and network initially fostered by a series of grants from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Subsequently, AQUASEC has significantly expanded to other regions through direct linkages and additional program support for the International Water Security Network, supported by Lloyd's Register Foundation and other sources. This paper highlights major scientific and policy achievements of a notable suite of science-policy networks, shared practices, methods, and knowledge integrating science and policy, as well as the main barriers overcome in network development. An important gap that remains for future research is the assessment and evaluation of dialogic science-policy networks' long-term outcomes.
• Lutz-Ley, A., Scott, C. A., Wilder, M. O., Varady, R. G., Ocampo-Melgar, A., Lara-Valencia, F., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Buechler, S. J., Díaz-Ceravantes, R., Ribeiro Neto, A., Pineda-Pablos, N., & Martin, F. (2020). Dialogic science-policy networks for water security governance in the Arid Americas.. Environmental Development.
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  America N. Lutz-Ley, Christopher A. Scott, Margaret Wilder, Anahi Ocampo-Melgar, Francisco Lara-Valencia, Robert G. Varady, Adriana Zuniga-Teran, Stephanie Buechler, Rolando Díaz-Ceravantes, Alfredo Ribeiro Neto, Nicolas Pineda-Pablos and Facundo Martin. In review. Global-Change Dialogic Networks: A Science-Policy Umbrella for Improving Water Security in the Arid Americas. Under review for special issue ‘Networked Research’ for the journal Environmental Development.
• Scott, C. A., Mariana, Z., Perillo, G., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Harmon, T., Escobar Jaramillo, J., Diaz Caravantes, R., Meza, F., Martin, F., Rivera Neto, A., Piccolo, C., Rusak, J., Pineda, N., Varady, R. G., Hoyos, N., Mussetta, P., Velez, M. I., Montenegro, S., & Reid, B. (2020). Do ecosystem insecurity and social inequity lead to failure of water security? A synthesis of CRNH projects funded by the Inter American Institute for Global Change Research. Environmental Development.
• Scott, C. A., Pincetl, S., Meixner, T., Lansey, K. E., Duan, J. G., Daigger, G. T., Cath, T. Y., Boccelli, D., Shrestha, P. P., Albrecht, T., Mack, E. A., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Achilli, A., & Crosson, C. (2020). Net Zero Urban Water from Concept to Applications: Integrating Natural, Built, and Social Systems for Responsive and Adaptive Solutions. ACS ES&T Water.
• Wilder, M. O., Varady, R. G., Gerlak, A. K., Steve, M., Flessa, K. W., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Scott, C. A., Nicolas, P. P., & Megdal, S. B. (2020). Hydrodiplomacy and adaptive governance at the U.S.-Mexico border: 75 years of tradition innovation in transboundary water management.. Environmental Science and Policy, 112, 189-202.
• Zuniga Teran, A. A., Gerlak, A. K., Mayer, B. M., Evans, T., & Lansey, K. E. (2020). A multidimensional assessment of urban resilience from green infrastructure systems. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability.
• Zuniga Teran, A. A., Mussetta, P. C., Lutz-Ley, A. N., Diaz-Caravantes, R. E., & Gerlak, A. K. (2020). Analyzing water policy impacts on vulnerability: Cases across the rural-urban continuum in the arid Americas. Environmental Development.
• Zuniga-Teran, A. A., Staddon, C., de, V. L., Gerlak, A. K., Ward, S., Schoeman, Y., Hart, A., & Booth, G. (2020). Challenges of mainstreaming green infrastructure in built environment professions. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT, 63(4), 710-732.
• Chalfoun, N. V., Guertin, D. P., Marsh, S. E., Orr, B., Gimblett, H. R., Stoker, P. A., & Zuniga Teran, A. A. (2019). Exploring the influence of neighborhood walkability on the frequency of use of greenspace. Landscape and Urban Planning, 190(October 2019, 103609). doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.103609
• Ward, S., Staddon, C., De, V. L., Zuniga-Teran, A., Gerlak, A. K., Schoeman, Y., Hart, A., & Booth, G. (2019). Embedding social inclusiveness and appropriateness in engineering assessment of green infrastructure to enhance urban resilience. URBAN WATER JOURNAL.
• Zuniga-Teran, A. A., & Gerlak, A. K. (2019). A Multidisciplinary Approach to Analyzing Questions of Justice Issues in Urban Greenspace. SUSTAINABILITY, 11(11).
• Zuniga-Teran, A. A., Stoker, P., Gimblett, R. H., Orr, B. J., Marsh, S. E., Guertin, D. P., & Chalfoun, N. V. (2019). Exploring the influence of neighborhood walkability on the frequency of use of greenspace. LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING, 190.
• Albrecht, T., Varady, R. G., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Gerlak, A. K., Megdal, S. B., Degrenade, R., Lutz-Ley, A., Pineda, N., Meza, F., Ocampo Melgar, D., Rojas, F., Taboada, R., Willems, B., & Martin, F. (2018). Unraveling transboundary water security in the arid Americas. Water International, 43(8), 1075-1113. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2018.1541583
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  Albrecht, T.R., Varady, R.G., Zuniga-Teran, A.A., Gerlak, A., De Grenade, R., Lutz-Ley, A., Martín, F., Megdal, S.B., Meza, F., Ocampo Melgar, D., Pineda, N., Rojas, F., Taboada, R., and Willems, B. (2018) Unraveling transboundary water security in the arid Americas. Water International 43 (8) pp. 1075-1113. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2018.1541583
• Alejandra, A. (2018). Contributions of green infrastructure to enhancing urban resilience. Environment Systems and Decisions.
• Alejandra, A. (2018). Critical issues affecting groundwater quality governance and management in the United States. Water (Switzerland).
• Alejandra, A. (2018). Unraveling transboundary water security in the arid Americas. Water International.
• Alejandra, A. (2018). Water security: A review of place-based research. Environmental Science and Policy.
• Gerlak, A. K., House-Peters, L., Varady, R. G., Albrecht, T., Zuniga-Teran, A., de, G., Cook, C., & Scott, C. A. (2018). Water security: A review of place-based research. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY, 82, 79-89.
• Petersen-Perlman, J. D., Megdal, S. B., Gerlak, A. K., Wireman, M., Zuniga-Teran, A. A., & Varady, R. G. (2018). Critical Issues Affecting Groundwater Quality Governance and Management in the United States. WATER, 10(6).
• Scott, C. A., Albrecht, T. R., De, G. R., Zuniga-Teran, A., Varady, R. G., & Thapa, B. (2018). Water security and the pursuit of food, energy, and earth systems resilience. WATER INTERNATIONAL, 43(8), 1055-1074.
• Alejandra, A. (2017). Designing healthy communities: Testing the walkability model. Frontiers of Architectural Research.
• Alejandra, A. (2017). Governing a shared hidden resource: A review of governance mechanisms for transboundary groundwater security. Water Security.
• Alejandra, A. (2017). Neighborhood design, physical activity, and wellbeing: Applying the walkability model. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
• Zuniga Teran, A. A., & Lutz Ley, A. (2017). ¿Es la desalinización una opción sustentable para México?. Ingeniería Civil.
• Zuniga-Teran, A. A., Orr, B. J., Gimblett, R. H., Chalfoun, N. V., Guertin, D. P., & Marsh, S. E. (2017). Neighborhood Design, Physical Activity, and Wellbeing: Applying the Walkability Model. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH, 14(1).
• Zuniga-Teran, A. A., Orr, B. J., Gimblett, R. H., Chalfoun, N. V., Guertin, D. P., & Marsh, S. E. (2017). Neighborhood Design, Physical Activity, and Wellbeing: Applying the Walkability Model. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14(1).
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  Neighborhood design affects lifestyle physical activity, and ultimately human wellbeing. There are, however, a limited number of studies that examine neighborhood design types. In this research, we examine four types of neighborhood designs: traditional development, suburban development, enclosed community, and cluster housing development, and assess their level of walkability and their effects on physical activity and wellbeing. We examine significant associations through a questionnaire ( = 486) distributed in Tucson, Arizona using the Walkability Model. Among the tested neighborhood design types, traditional development showed significant associations and the highest value for walkability, as well as for each of the two types of walking (recreation and transportation) representing physical activity. Suburban development showed significant associations and the highest mean values for mental health and wellbeing. Cluster housing showed significant associations and the highest mean value for social interactions with neighbors and for perceived safety from crime. Enclosed community did not obtain the highest means for any wellbeing benefit. The Walkability Model proved useful in identifying the walkability categories associated with physical activity and perceived crime. For example, the category was strongly and inversely associated with perceived crime. This study provides empirical evidence of the importance of including vegetation, particularly trees, throughout neighborhoods in order to increase physical activity and wellbeing. Likewise, the results suggest that regular maintenance is an important strategy to improve mental health and overall wellbeing in cities.
• Zuniga-Teran, A. A., Orr, B. J., Gimblett, R. H., Chalfoun, N. V., Marsh, S. E., Guertin, D. P., & Going, S. B. (2017). Designing healthy communities: Testing the walkability model. FRONTIERS OF ARCHITECTURAL RESEARCH, 6(1), 63-73.
• Alejandra, A. (2016). Adaptive management and water security in a global context: definitions, concepts, and examples. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability.
• Alejandra, A. (2016). Desalination and water security in the US–Mexico border region: assessing the social, environmental and political impacts. Water International.
• Alejandra, A. (2016). Modes and approaches of groundwater governance: A survey of lessons learned from selected cases across the globe. Water (Switzerland).
• Pasqual, J. C., Zuniga-teran, A. A., Santellanes, J. A., Lugo, Y. P., Ley, A. N., & Anaya, R. P. (2016). Implicações e desafios para o setor energético do Brasil e México para atender às reduções de emissão de dióxido de carbono comprometidas no INDC durante a COP 21-CMP11. Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente, 37. doi:10.5380/dma.v37i0.45129
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  Despite contributing only 1% to global emissions each, two of the largest economies in Latin America, Brazil and Mexico, are strongly committed to reducing their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 43% and 40% respectively by the year 2030. Achieving these goals, however, will not only necessitate the implementation of technical innovations, cleaner energy sources and active participation of all sectors, but will also require significant changes in the energy policies of both countries. This article will identify the goals stated by Brazil and Mexico in their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), and examine the actual and prospective primary energy mixes and consequent CO2 emissions. In addition, strategies related to technical, economic and social efforts needed to achieve these purposes are explored. Finally, the opportunities for achieving COP21-CMP11 commitments through the implementation of renewable energy in different sectors will be discussed; while showing their potential for also providing energy sovereignty and potential economic benefits for both nations.
• Varady, R. G., Martin, F., Vicuna, S., Garfin, G. M., & Zuniga Teran, A. A. (2016). Context setting: Adaptive management and water security in key global regions. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability.
• Varady, R. G., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Garfin, G. M., Martin, F., & Vicuna, S. (2016). Adaptive management and water security in a global context: definitions, concepts, and examples.. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 21, 70-77. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2016.11.001
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  Conventional water governance that centralizes decision-making and focuses on increasing supply has sometimes led to ecological degradation and inequitable outcomes. As a corrective, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) incorporates sustainability principles that integrate social, ecological, and infrastructural systems. However, this governance mode still does not address complex issues for an uncertain future, and fails to offer a clear goal. Adaptive management, another approach, relies on public participation and active knowledge exchange between scientists and policy-makers; it also incorporates uncertainty into decision-making. The concept of water security emerged subsequently to address the lack of a clear goal for water management. In this paper, we set into context the terms ‘adaptive management’ and ‘water security’ and review their evolution and their critiques. Both concepts require measurement and monitoring of outcomes in order to determine progress toward established goals so as to guide decision-making. We discuss the challenges and different ways of measuring water security and offer a representative list of potential indicators. The essay provides some examples of adaptive-management studies across the world and discusses adaptive management as it relates to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our concluding remarks reflect on present challenges, practical limitations, and promising ideas for a future type of water governance that is participatory, equitable, and adaptive.
• Varady, R. G., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Gerlak, A. K., & Megdal, S. B. (2016). Modes and Approaches of Groundwater Governance: A Survey of Lessons Learned from Selected Cases across the Globe. Water, 1-24.
• Varady, R. G., Zuniga-Teran, A. A., Garfin, G. M., Martin, F., & Vicuna, S. (2016). Adaptive management and water security in a global context: definitions, concepts, and examples. CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, 21, 70-77.
• Varady, R. G., Zuniga-Teran, A. A., Gerlak, A. K., & Megdal, S. B. (2016). Modes and Approaches of Groundwater Governance: A Survey of Lessons Learned from Selected Cases across the Globe. WATER, 8(10).
• Wilder, M. O., Aguilar-Barajas, I., Pineda-Pablos, N., Varady, R. G., Megdal, S. B., McEvoy, J., Merideth, R., Zuniga-Teran, A. A., & Scott, C. A. (2016). Desalination and water security in the US-Mexico border region: assessing the social, environmental and political impacts. WATER INTERNATIONAL, 41(5), 756-775.
• Zuniga Teran, A. A., & Pineda Pablos, N. (2016). Planeación por escenarios para la seguridad hídrica. Agua y Saneamiento.
• Zuniga Teran, A. A., Orr, B., Gimblett, H. R., Going, S. B., Chalfoun, N. V., Guertin, D. P., & Marsh, S. E. (2016). Designing healthy communities: A walkability analysis of LEED-ND. Frontiers in Architectural Research. doi:10.1016/j.foar.2016.09.004
• Zuniga Teran, A. A., & Diaz Caravantes, R. (2015). La infrastructure verde: una estrategia de adaptación al cambio climático. Agua y Saneamiento.

Proceedings Publications

• Gerlak, A. K., House-Peters, L. A., Albrecht, T., Cook, C., Routson de Grenade, R., Scott, C. A., Varady, R. G., & Zuniga Teran, A. A. (2016, Spring). Water security: A critical review of recent studies. In Annual meeting of International Studies Association.
• Zuniga Teran, A. A. (2018, Spring). Wellbeing synergies between walkable neighborhoods and the enhanced use of greenspace. In 55th International Making Cities Livable conference.
• Zuniga Teran, A. A., Lara-Valencia, F., Norman, L., Murrieta, J., & Buechler, S. (2019, Oct.). Hydrodiplomacy in Ambos Nogales: Lessons learned from binational water management. In Science Diplomacy Conference.
• Cordova, A., Zuniga Teran, A. A., & Sproul, J. (2019, October). Forging Sister Wetlands in El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico: Urban Transboundary Conservation and Restoration on the U.S-Mexico Border. In Science Diplomacy Conference.
• Zuniga Teran, A. A. (2017, Fall). The impacts of neighborhood design on physical activity and wellbeing. In 54th International Making Cities Livable Conference..
• Zuniga Teran, A. A., Lutz Ley, A., Peon, R., Pasqal, J., & Peralta, Y. (2017, Spring). Planning for desalination: a comparative case study. In World Water Congress.

Poster Presentations

• Gerlak, A. K., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Brown, A., Gilson, G., & Smith, G. E. (2024, June). PFAS Responses Across the Political Spectrum in US States. 2024 National PFAS Conference. Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Case Studies

• Zuniga Teran, A. A. (2020. Water Demand Management in Tucson, Arizona(p. 53).
• Garcia, R., Scott, C. A., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Buechler, S. J., Cervera, L., Peña, S., & Manzanares, J. L. (2019. Evaluación del Impacto Transfronterizo de Proyectos de Infraestructura de Saneamiento en Ambos Nogales. [Evaluation of the Transborder Impact of Sanitation Infrastructure Projects in Ambos Nogales]. Report Prepared for the North American Development Bank (NADBANK).(pp 136 pp.).
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  Rigoberto García, Christopher Scott, Adriana Zúñiga, Stephanie Buechler, Luis Cervera, Sergio Peña, José Luis Manzanares. 2019. Evaluación del Impacto Transfronterizo de Proyectos de Infraestructura de Saneamiento en Ambos Nogales. [Evaluation of the Transborder Impact of Sanitation Infrastructure Projects in Ambos Nogales]. Report Prepared for the North American Development Bank (NADBANK).

Others

• Garcia Ochoa, R., Scott, C. A., Zuniga Teran, A. A., Buechler, S. J., Cervera, L., & Martinez, K. (2018, November). Evaluación del Impacto Transfronterizo de Proyectos de Infraestructura de Saneamiento en Ambos Nogales Informe de avances preparado para el Banco de Desarrollo de América del Norte. North American Development Bank.
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  Evaluación del Impacto Transfronterizo de Proyectos de Infraestructura de Saneamiento en Ambos Nogales Informe de avances preparado para el Banco de Desarrollo de América del Norte.A report that documents the impact evaluation of the International Wastewater Treatment Plant that we conducted on both sides of the border in Ambos Nogales for the North American Development Bank. We received comments on this in November 2018 and are now developing the final report for submission in spring 2019. MDP student Karina Martinez is a research assistant on the project.