DEIJAB Statement

The Minnesota Water Resources Conference immerses participants in innovative, practical, and applied water resource engineering solutions, management techniques, and current research about Minnesota’s water resources. It is a platform to present current research, identify emerging issues, and share best practices to achieve desired water quality or quantity responses, while facilitating interaction among water resource professionals and students. 

The conference planning committee commits to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, access, and belonging (DEIJAB) within all aspects of this annual event. It is critical that the conference planning committee serve all communities equitably, without bias or discrimination, in both its programming and physical environment.

The committee will call upon and use our collective skills to prioritize:

  • Diversity by addressing systemic and institutional barriers that add layers of disadvantage and environmental injustice to Black, Indigenous, Hispanic/Latino, Asian and other people of color, LGBTQIA+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other historically excluded groups. We aim to incorporate diverse perspectives from across the region.
  • Equity and Access by creating a conference environment that facilitates equitable participation and engagement among all attendees, equitable access to funds and resources for attendance, and equitable access to information shared in presentations and discussions.
  • Inclusivity and Belonging by fostering a space for learning that is respectful and open so that all participants have a voice, can fully participate, and benefit from the conference.
    Justice by acknowledging past inequities in water protection and management, naming inequitable policies and practices, and ensuring new wrongs do not occur.

We acknowledge that our efforts and actions are a work-in-progress and commit to training and educating our members on implicit biases and historical environmental injustices so that we may continuously improve how we amplify underrepresented voices and support opportunities for the broader water community.