Calling climate change experts! The DRBC wants you.

The Delaware River Basin Commission is seeking members for its newest advisory committee.

The Advisory Committee on Climate Change (ACCC), the DRBC’s seventh advisory committee, was established in December to help identify and prioritize threats to the Delaware Watershed due to climate change.

“The ACCC will provide the commission and the basin community with vital, scientific expertise for identifying and prioritizing these threats and vulnerabilities, as well as provide recommendations for mitigation, adaptation and improved resiliency,” Steve Tambini, DRBC executive director, said in a December news release.

The DRBC is accepting applications for up to nine “non-reserved” members, who will represent four sets of stakeholders:

academic or research institutions
watershed or environmental organizations
business or industry
water or wastewater utilities

Up to nine “reserved” members will fill out the rest of the committee seats. They’re appointed by existing commission partners, including each of the four-member states, the Philadelphia Water Department, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, and the New York Department of Environmental Protection, among others.

Once members are selected, the ACCC will be tasked with:

helping to develop a study on climate effects on the basin’s water supply and quality;
providing guidance on the commission’s water resource planning efforts; and
organizing a forum on basin-focused climate science, in collaboration with the DRBC and its partners.

The agency is seeking those with an expertise in climate change, especially its impact on the Delaware Watershed. If selected, non-reserved members will hold the post for up to two years. More details on how to apply, like the Feb. 28 deadline, are available on the ACCC’s webpage.

Created in 1961, the DRBC is the interstate-federal commission tasked with managing, protecting and improving the river basin’s water resources.

Lead support is provided by the William Penn Foundation.

Alison Burdo

Alison Burdo is a project manager with Green Philly, focusing on the development and execution of its coverage of the Delaware Watershed. A Philadelphia-based journalist for the past seven years, Burdo most recently supported the launch of the Initiative for Better Gun Violence Reporting. Her experience includes reporting exclusive, enterprise stories on the 2015 papal visit and the 2016 Democratic National Convention; leading an investigation into the epidemic of unsolved missing persons cases; and regularly breaking news related to Philadelphia's precedent-setting soda tax.