Melissa D. Ho: Why Walling Off Nature Won't Provide Water Security

How can we use nature-based solutions alongside traditional infrastructure to meet our needs?Melissa Ho joins John Sabo to explore how conservation is shifting from protecting nature in isolation to designing systems where people and ecosystems work together. Drawing on her experience in conservation and development, Melissa explains how nature-based solutions are being integrated with built infrastructure to improve water management and restore ecosystems.The conversation also explores groundwater, agriculture, corporate engagement, and why better stewardship and management of water may matter more than creating new supply.“Nature-based solutions … it’s not just conservation with better branding, it’s actually re-engineering our mindset to think about engineering better with biological systems.”— Melissa Ho, Season 5 of Audacious WaterDiscussed in This Episode:* The Shift Away from “Fortress Conservation”* How Nature-Based Solutions Work With Infrastructure* Groundwater, Data, and Better Water Management* Agriculture, Runoff, and Watershed Health* Corporate Incentives, Disclosure, and Water Risk* Scaling Nature-Based Solutions Beyond Pilot Projects 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