Sara Walker

Associate

Bio

Sara Walker is an Associate in the Water Program at the World Resources Institute. She is part of the Water Quality Team, where she works on NutrientNet, WRI’s online water quality trading tool, and analyzes cost-effective and market-based approaches to reducing nutrient pollution.

Prior to joining WRI, Sara worked for the Chesapeake Research Consortium at the EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office where she supported the federal-state-local partnership efforts to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Sara holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Psychology from Dickinson College and an M.S. in Environmental Sciences and Policy from The Johns Hopkins University.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Sara now lives in Silver Spring, MD with her husband, Bennett, and their dog, Ellie. She likes spending time outdoors, cooking delicious homegrown and local food, and traveling to new places.

Blog Posts

Addressing Women’s Burdens from Water Risks Could Help Reduce World Hunger
by Ayushi Trivedi, Natalie Elwell and Sara Walker - August 10, 2017
As they struggle to care for farms and families in a changing climate, women in the developing world face unfair burdens related to their gender. A shift in approaches could increase agricultural yields and advance equal rights.
Guacamole Coasts: Not Just Florida, Not Just Now
by Sara Walker - July 11, 2016
Florida's Treasure Coast has turned toxic this summer, as a foul-smelling algae bloom resembling guacamole has made some of the Sunshine State's beaches untouchable. One cause is the controlled release of water from an over-full Lake Okeechobee into local rivers that flow east to the Atlantic and west to the Gulf of Mexico.
Overcoming Barriers to USDA’s New Conservation Program
by Sara Walker - June 10, 2014
For more than 30 years, the USDA has worked to reduce water pollution by offering farmers throughout the nation financial and technical help to put conservation measures in place. While these efforts have successfully addressed environmental problems at the individual farm level—such as soil erosion—agriculture remains a key source of water pollution.

However, it’s only a small portion of farms that generate the majority of agriculture’s contribution to U.S. water pollution. New research shows that targeting conservation funds to these farms with the most potential to reduce pollution could be up to 12 times more cost effective than the usual practice of disbursing funds widely. And encouragingly, a new USDA program aims to capitalize on a similar targeted approach.

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Sara Walker

Addressing Women’s Burdens from Water Risks Could Help Reduce World Hunger

Guacamole Coasts: Not Just Florida, Not Just Now

Overcoming Barriers to USDA’s New Conservation Program

Improving Water Quality (3 of 3)

Overcoming Barriers to Better Targeting of U.S. Farm Conservation Funds

Improving Water Quality (2 of 3)

A National Modeling Analysis on Increasing Cost Effectiveness Through Better Targeting of U.S. Farm Conservation Funds

Addressing Risk and Uncertainty in Water Quality Trading Markets

Improving Water Quality (1 of 3)

A Review of the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) To Target U.S. Farm Conservation Funds

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You are here

Addressing Women’s Burdens from Water Risks Could Help Reduce World Hunger

Guacamole Coasts: Not Just Florida, Not Just Now

Overcoming Barriers to USDA’s New Conservation Program

Improving Water Quality (3 of 3)

Overcoming Barriers to Better Targeting of U.S. Farm Conservation Funds

Improving Water Quality (2 of 3)

A National Modeling Analysis on Increasing Cost Effectiveness Through Better Targeting of U.S. Farm Conservation Funds

Addressing Risk and Uncertainty in Water Quality Trading Markets

Improving Water Quality (1 of 3)

A Review of the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) To Target U.S. Farm Conservation Funds

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