Betsy Otto

Betsy Otto
Aqueduct Director
botto@wri.org|+1 (202) 729-7615

Betsy Otto is the Director of the Aqueduct project in the Markets and Enterprise Program at the World Resources Institute. Aqueduct is a global water risk assessment and mapping tool to inform private and public sector investment and water management decisions.

Betsy leads the Aqueduct project and works with the Aqueduct team to build out the tool and use it to engage business, NGOs and governments for positive change in managing water resources worldwide. Betsy also works with staff across WRI on its broader water-related work.

Betsy brings strong experience in water management, ecosystem protection, and urban water systems. She has a background in business consulting, and over 20 years experience working on water issues with the non-profit, business and government communities. Over the past two decades she has worked to promote sound land and water planning, ecologically-based riverfront revitalization efforts in cities, and urban water infrastructure systems that incorporate upstream ecosystem services, green infrastructure designs in cities, and integrate drinking water, stormwater and wastewater management. Most recently at American Rivers in Washington, DC, Betsy developed successful clean water and water supply programs, and worked closely with mayors, utilities, federal agencies and Congress to promote smart water policies and drive public and private investment toward more sustainable water infrastructure solutions.

Betsy earned a Masters in Water Resources Management from the University of Wisconsin’s Nelson Institute, MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School, and a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois. From 2006-2007, she was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, where she studied international water management, urban infrastructure, and water and sanitation issues.

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Latest Post

In Aqueduct | Submitted on April 24, 2012
Around the world and throughout every sector of the economy, companies and investors are increasingly aware of risks associated with their dependence on fresh water. For example, a recent report by the Carbon Disclosure Project’s Water Disclosure branch looked at water-stressed South Africa and revealed that 85% of water-intensive companies in the country are exposed to water risks, with 70%...

More Blog Posts

In Aqueduct | Submitted on March 22, 2012
It’s rare for water to make waves at the World Economic Forum’s annual gathering of business leaders and finance ministers. But the most recent Davos summit was an exception. A new eye-opening...