Professor Liz Roberts co-authored a study on the effects of climate change and population growth in regards to urban water scarcity. Professor Roberts examined how these global changes have contributed to the true costs of urban water supplies. The study found both, "monetary and nonmonetary costs when water supply is intermittent."
Professor Roberts found that "there was a need for research documenting how households bear the cost and adapt, and there’s a need for policy advice for how to ensure safe and equitable urban water access within a system that can’t offer continuous water supply." In addition to her contributions to the department of anthropology, Professor Roberts is also a faculty associate at the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research.