As part of the North Olympic Library System’s annual Summer Reading Program, Humanities Washington speaker Rachel Cardone presents “H2OMG! Making Sense of Water Scarcity in an Insecure World,” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 15 at the Sequim Library, 630 N. Sequim Ave.

She’ll also present at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 16, at the Port Angeles Library, 2210 S. Peabody St.

In this discussion led by Cardone, an economist and former Gates Foundation policy maker, participants learn about water scarcity and its effects both globally and at local levels in Washington.

Participants are challenged to consider how they value water in its different uses and explore whether taking an ethical approach to water issues changes how residents manage and govern water on an increasingly thirsty and crowded planet.

Cardone has spent nearly 20 years working on water issues as an economist, writer, policy maker, philanthropist and advisor to public, private and nonprofit organizations. Prior to returning to independent consulting in 2012, she spent five years establishing the Water, Sanitation, &Hygiene Program at the Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation.

Cardone has traveled or worked in more than 50 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, and has spent several years facilitating workshops, training sessions and meetings for a range of audiences. She has a master’s of public administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, with a focus on Energy Policy &Finance, and a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Michigan.

The theme for the 2017 Summer Reading Program is “Build a Better World.” This summertime celebration encourages people of all ages to read throughout the summer and features a reading challenge and a multitude of events for adults.

The Summer Reading Program is supported by the Friends of the Library groups at all four NOLS libraries.

For more information about events happening this summer, visit www.nols.org, call 417-8500 or email Discover@nols.org.