J. Pablo Ortiz-Partida

Senior Bilingual Water and Climate Scientist

Media Contact

Pablo Ortiz is Senior Water and Climate Scientist for the Climate & Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. In his role, he takes the lead in identifying and developing analytic and research projects that further his team’s water-related priorities. Dr. Ortiz also works on developing strategies for vulnerable sectors and populations in California to cope and adapt to the current and projected impacts of climate change, particularly related to water impacts.

Before joining UCS, Dr. Ortiz served as a research assistant for the water management lab at the University of California, Davis, and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, where he researched how to balance human and environmental water allocation without affecting current and future urban, agriculture, and recreational water uses—or flood risks. He has also worked as a junior consultant engineer for Servicios Ambientales Profesionales, an environmental consulting firm based in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he conducted environmental impact assessments at municipal, state, and regional levels.

Dr. Ortiz earned his Ph.D. in hydrology and water resources science from the University of California, Davis, and a BS in environmental engineering from Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO). He has been quoted in the Los Angeles Times and The Guardian, among other outlets, and is available to speak about climate and water science, climate impacts, and climate justice in California.

Watch Dr. Ortiz on Univision.

Selected publications

Persad, G.G., Daniel L. Swain, Claire Kouba, J. Pablo Ortiz-Partida. 2020 Inter-model agreement on projected shifts in California hydroclimate characteristics critical to water management. Climatic Change 162, 1493–1513 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-020-02882-4

Persad G.G., J. Pablo Ortiz-Partida, Daniel Swain. 2020. Troubled Waters: Preparing for Climate Threats to California’s Water System. Cambridge, MA: Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/troubled-waters

Phillips, C.A., Astrid Caldas, Rachel Cleetus, Kristina A. Dahl, Juan Declet-Barreto, Rachel Licker, L. Delta Merner, J. Pablo Ortiz-Partida, Alexandra L. Phelan, Erika Spanger-Siegfried, Shuchi Talati, Christopher H. Trisos, and Colin J. Carlson. 2020. Compound climate risks in the COVID-19 pandemic. Nature Climate Change. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-0804-2

Ortiz-Partida, J. Pablo, Mahesh L. Maskey, and Alejandra Virgen-Urcelay. "Recent Approaches to Robust Water Resources Management under Hydroclimatic Uncertainty." In Managing Water Resources and Hydrological Systems, pp. 511-517. CRC Press, 2020. 10.1201/9781003045045-57