September 9th Forum Bringing Together Experts in Water, Technology, Infrastructure, Agriculture, Institutional Investment and Energy

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, July 29, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Marshall & Stevens, a premier full-service valuation consulting, transaction advisory, and litigation support firm announced it is convening a panel of leading experts for its 2026 Water Forum, titled “Navigating Water Risk Across Agriculture, Infrastructure, and Capital” on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.

As water scarcity increasingly reshapes agriculture, infrastructure, technology, real estate, and investment decisions, Marshall & Stevens is bringing together leading experts to examine how water and its associated risks are reshaping immediate and long-term strategies across various industries throughout the economy.

The 90-minute virtual forum will bring together senior leaders from water infrastructure, water technology, agriculture, institutional investment, and energy to examine the growing imbalance between water supply and demand and its implications for businesses, communities and capital markets.

Registration for the event is available at: https://events.marshall-stevens.com/2026-water-forum.

The forum will be moderated by Jennifer Simmonson, MAI, a Director in the Real Estate Practice at Marshall & Stevens. Panelists will include:

• Bobby Majumder, Partner, Co-Chair of the Energy Industry Team and a member of the Board of Directors, FBT Gibbons.

• Rosemary Knight, George L. Harrington Professor of Geophysics at Stanford University and Senior Fellow in the Woods Institute for the Environment.

• Nati Louzon, VP, IDE Israel & O&M Division and CEO, IDE Americas, IDE Water Technologies.

• Megan Nicholas Harper, Director of Water Resources, Nuveen Natural Capital.

"Water is no longer simply an environmental or agricultural issue. It affects how government and businesses plan and operate as well as the value of their assets, the assessment of risk, the planning of infrastructure, and the allocation of capital," said Ralph Consola, Chief Revenue Officer of Marshall & Stevens. "We are hosting this Forum because the most important conversations about the affects markets have on enterprise and asset values must include a clear-eyed understanding of the forces shaping them. Water scarcity is one of those forces. We are bringing together experts who see this challenge from very different perspectives to create a forum for a candid discussion about both the risks and the solutions."

The Forum reflects Marshall & Stevens' broader commitment to staying ahead of the trends that are shaping the markets in which its clients operate. As a firm with expertise in valuation, advisory services and complex assets, Marshall & Stevens works at the intersection of market conditions, investment decisions and long-term asset value.

“In the West, the major agricultural investors I've spoken with tell me water availability and reliability are now the primary drivers of new farmland investment decisions. Water is impacting farming practices and entire markets. Effectively, investors and owner-users are chasing the water," said Jennifer Simmonson, MAI, Director at Marshall & Stevens and moderator of the Forum. “We are confronting complex questions. How are markets discounting assets that are perceived to have unprecedented shifts in water supply? What happens when agricultural, residential, industrial and data infrastructure uses compete for the same limited resource? Which economically viable solutions can meaningfully expand supply or improve efficiency?"

"We are bringing together people who approach water from the perspectives of science, technology, agriculture, law, infrastructure and capital. The goal is to better understand what is changing, where the greatest risks are emerging, and which feasible solutions exist. Rather than describing a problem, we will discuss ideas and solutions,” Simmonson added.

The panel will focus on four central themes:

Water in the West: A Systemic Crisis
The discussion will examine the Colorado River and broader Western water shortages, including district and surface water constraints, as well as the long-term implications of groundwater regulation and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act for agricultural water access.

Infrastructure and Technology Responses
Panelists will explore the potential of solar canals and other evaporation reduction strategies, desalination, groundwater recharge, water storage and water banking programs. The discussion will also consider the feasibility, cost and scalability of technologies intended to address growing water demand.

Competing Uses: Data Centers vs. Agriculture
As energy and data infrastructure expands, new demands for water are emerging in regions already facing significant constraints. The panel will examine rising water demand, land-use conversion and displacement pressures, as well as the comparative and contracted water usage associated with data centers and agricultural production.

Valuation Volatility and Investment Risk
The Forum will explore how water scarcity should be incorporated into valuation, underwriting and investment analysis. Panelists will consider which markets and asset types may be most vulnerable to value erosion from water stress, how lenders and insurers are responding, and how relative water security across Western regions may affect long-term pricing.

Each panelist will bring a distinct perspective to the discussion.

“The West’s water crisis is no longer just a resource problem; it is becoming an asset allocation and sustainability problem,” stated Megan Nicholas Harper, Director of Water Resources at Nuveen Natural Capital. “For decades, water followed growth. In the Western U.S., we're entering an era where growth will increasingly follow water.”

"For data centers, water isn’t a utility operating in the background. Instead, it’s the cooling capacity that keeps the digital economy online,” said Bobby Majumder, Partner and Co-Chair of the Energy Industry Team at FBT Gibbons. “As data center development continues to accelerate, I look forward to discussing how communities, developers and other stakeholders can plan for reliable water resources while balancing competing demands."

The Forum is designed for institutional capital and financial stakeholders, energy and data infrastructure stakeholders, agricultural and land investors, and water and infrastructure developers and operators.

By bringing together experts from across these sectors, Marshall & Stevens aims to facilitate an informed, solutions-focused discussion about one of the forces increasingly shaping markets and asset values.

"Marshall & Stevens has always believed that effective advisory work requires understanding not just where markets are today, but what is likely to shape them tomorrow," Consola added. "Water is one of the clearest examples of a trend that crosses traditional industry lines. It affects agriculture, real estate, infrastructure, energy, finance and communities. We believe the organizations that understand these connections early will be better positioned to make sound decisions in the years ahead."

The 2026 Water Forum: Navigating Water Risk Across Agriculture, Infrastructure, and Capital will take place virtually on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time / 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Registration information may be found at: https://events.marshall-stevens.com/2026-water-forum.

About Marshall & Stevens
Marshall & Stevens is a premier full-service valuation consulting, transaction advisory, & litigation support firm. The firm serves clients across a wide range of industries and asset classes, helping businesses, investors and other stakeholders understand the value and risks associated with complex assets and changing markets.

For more information or to schedule an interview with a Marshall and Stevens spokesperson, please contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or dan@danrene.com

Dan Rene
Dan Rene Communications
+1 202-329-8357
dan@danrene.com

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