NAU professor studies impact of wildfires on community water systems
A Northern Arizona University professor and other researchers are studying the monetary impacts of wildfires on local communities. Wildfires can lead to issues like changes in the water treatment process or the pollution of water due to sediments, smoke and soot. That’s according to Siyu Pan, an economics assistant professor at NAU. Her research came out of a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service. One of her studies found that communities with lower education and household income are more open to wildfire exposure. “So my role as an economist in this whole study initiative would be trying to understand more specifically the monetary aspect of wildfires’ impact on people’s drinking water pollution,” she said.
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