2026 Water Wonks Hour Lecture Series #9: An overview of the Nature-Based Solutions from The Nature Conservancy (Texas Chapter)’s Flood Resilience Guidance Manual.

Speaker:

Justin Kozak, Ph.D., CFM

Bio:

Justin is a Nature-Based Solutions Project Manager for the Texas Chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC). His work supports TNC’s Nature-Based Solutions strategy and projects that advance natural infrastructure and Nature-Based Solutions for addressing many challenges our communities face including flooding, water quality and supply, heat, loss of habitat and biodiversity, public health, and access to green space. Prior to TNC, he worked at the Center for Planning Excellence in Baton Rouge, LA on a wide range of projects, including: community adaptation and resilience plans that balance quality of life, built environment, and risk reduction needs; aligning state efforts on watershed-based approaches to flood risk management through the Louisiana Watershed Initiative; and the development of an educational game on watershed management for flood risk reduction. His PhD is in Environmental Resources & Policy from Southern Illinois University where his research focused on the evaluation of ecosystem services (i.e. nature’s benefits) and restoration and water management in the Atchafalaya River Basin as part of a National Science Foundation Fellowship in Watershed Science and Policy.