Orestes Morfín is a senior planning analyst with the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, where he provides research, modeling, and analysis on inter-state Colorado River Basin programs and binational water issues between the United States and Mexico. His areas of expertise include water resources/water quality systems modelling, water policy analysis, and transboundary water management. Previously, Orestes was a minewaste and minewater consultant in the private sector.
Orestes serves as the vice president of the Multi-States Salinity Coalition, a group that promotes advancements in technologies for desalination and reuse, salinity control strategies, water/energy efficiencies and related public policies that help communities meet their water needs. He is also active in both the Minute 323 binational desalination workgroup and the Minute 323 projects workgroup, representing the Central Arizona Water Conservation District in binational negotiations and the exploration of options for the transboundary exchange of desalinated water.
Orestes’ professional accomplishments include acting as modelling lead on the Drought Contingency Plan and “500 Plus” conservation plan for the state of Arizona, time-sensitive multi-state agreements crafted under the pressure of rapidly-evolving climate challenges in the US Southwest. He co-created and currently directs a multi-faceted effort that incorporates irrigation efficiency, water reuse, brackish groundwater desalination, and conservation to augment the Colorado River water supply and diversify the state of Arizona’s water portfolio.
Orestes was a Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) grant recipient, with a focus on Turkey, during his graduate years and has conducted water management research on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. He is fluent and/or conversant in Turkish, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Greek, and English. His educational background includes a B.S. in Geosciences and a M.S. in Hydrology and Water Resources from the University of Arizona College of Engineering.
Contact Information
This individual is a guest contributor but is not an MEI-affiliated expert. We are not able to assist with contact requests.
