The US-Israel Blavatnik Scientific Forum on alleviating global water scarcity by desalination and water reuse

This work reflects ideas and discussions that emerged from the Blavatnik US-Israel Scientific Forum on Alleviating Global Water Scarcity by Desalination and Water Reuse (September 10-11, 2024) . The views expressed are those of the authors. The Blavatnik US-Israel Scientific Forums are co- organized by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities (IASH) . A generous grant by the Blavatnik Family Foundation supports an annual scientific forum, as well as a visit by a senior researcher from one country to the other to promote collaboration and stimulate academic cooperation and understanding between academic institutions. The NAS was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Chartered by law in 1961, the IASH acts as a national focal point for Israeli scholarship in both the natural sciences and the humanities. The Academy membership consists of 152 of Israel's most distinguished scientists and scholars, who monitor and promote Israeli intellectual excellence, advise the government on scientific planning, fund and publish research of lasting merit, and maintain active contact with the broader international scientific and scholarly community. We extend our gratitude to all organizers of the forum including Anna Bashkirova, Jennifer Clements, Galia Finzi, and Meira Brandwein; as well as to the distinguished speakers Meagan Mauter, Moshe Herzberg, Amy Childress, Roy Bernstein, Shihong Lin, Razi Epsztein, Pei Xu, Daniel Kurtzman, Aaron Wilson, Baoxia Mi, Tzahi Cath, Megan Plumlee, Ines Zucker, Edo Bar- Zeev, David Sedlak, and Osnat Gillor. This community of thoughtful participants and scholars pre-sented an excellent synthesis of the broader challenges we face with water scarcity and scientifically rigorous work they are doing to address it.