Author: Lakis Polycarpou
Lakis Polycarpou is a writer, ecological designer and sustainable development consultant. His posts on State of the Planet have covered diverse issues including water scarcity, climate change, drought, flood, food security, supply chains and geopolitics. From 2010 to 2012, Lakis worked with the Columbia Water Center to articulate and communicate innovative solutions to global water and climate challenges.
Lakis currently works with environmental organizations in Westchester County, New York to organize programming and lead sustainable development initiatives.
A new report by the Columbia Water Center, produced in conjunction with Veolia Water and Growing Blue, could help expose the real nature of water risk in urban and rural areas throughout the country–even in places that most people think of as having plenty of water.
Category> General Earth Institute, Water
Tags> Climate and Agriculture, Groundwater, North America, Surface Water, Sustainable Development, water matters, Water Scarcity
Last October, Superstorm Sandy provoked widespread frustration and fear after it left more than 7.5 million people in the New York Metro area without power. In the hardest hit areas, outages lasted two weeks or more. These failures led many observers to wonder if America’s aging electrical grid was up to dealing with emerging climate and other challenges.
Category> Energy, Natural Disasters
Tags> Hurricane Sandy, Infrastructure, microgrids, renewable energy, Sustainable Development, Technology
As population grows and demand for food and products increase, so does our demand for water. But in the face of growing pressure on our water resources from depletion, pollution and climate change, we need to make more of what we have.
Category> Water
Tags> Brazil, Climate, Climate and Agriculture, India, Project Spotlight, Sustainable Development, water matters, Water Scarcity, World Water Day
March 22 is World Water Day, and its theme this year—water and food security—couldn’t be more pressing. But what do we really know about water—where it goes, what it’s used for, and how to preserve it?
Category> Water
Tags> Climate and Agriculture, Groundwater, Surface Water, water matters, World Water Day
Over the past decade, average global food prices have more than doubled, with 2008 and 2010 seeing excruciating price spikes that each had far-reaching economic, geopolitical and social consequences.
Category> Agriculture-Food, Water
Tags> Climate and Agriculture, food security, Irrigated Agriculture, water matters, Water Scarcity, World Water Day
Rice is the world’s third-largest crop after wheat and corn; by some estimates it accounts for fully one-fifth of the total calories consumed by the human race. Given these facts, it’s not surprising that countries that have historically struggled with devastating famine would do whatever it takes to ensure strong production of the grain, even if it meant promoting growing practices that would ultimately prove unsustainable.
Category> Agriculture-Food, Water
Tags> Climate and Agriculture, Groundwater, India, water matters, Water Scarcity, World Water Day
The American Geophysical Union’s fall conference is coming up! The meeting will be held in San Francisco from December 5th to the 9th — as usual, Columbia Water Center scientists and associates will be giving a number of presentations covering a dizzying array of topics.
Category> Water
Tags> Climate, Climate Science, water matters
Since July, an almost unceasing torrent of rain has soaked Thailand, flooding farms, roads, factories, and finally Bangkok itself, a city of some 12 million people; so far at least 500 people have died. To date the government has ordered evacuations of 12 of the city’s 50 districts, even as water continues to creep through [...]
Category> Climate, Water
Tags> Climate, climate change, drought, flood risk, water matters
Beginning in Niger in the 1980s, Tony Rinaudo, an African aid missionary, began working with farmers to develop a new approach to reforesting degraded landscape. The practice he developed involved selective pruning of shrub shoots to a main stem, which was then pruned of its lower leaves and branches. Within a few years, new woodlands were growing.
Category> Ecosystems, Water
Tags> Africa, Climate and Agriculture, climate change, drought, water matters, Water Scarcity
The upper Delaware River Basin System is one of the largest water supply systems for the city of New York. Today our understanding and management of these reservoir systems is based on the short historical records of data, which are limited. Scientists need to find a way to look further into the past. One of the answers lies in tree rings.
Category> Water
Tags> drought, rivers, Surface Water, Transboundary Water Resources Management, water matters