Water Risk in Unexpected Places

by | 5.20.2013 at 6:54pm | 1 Comment
An infographic by Veolia water based on the Columbia Water Center report shows areas in the United States with the greatest water risk.

A new report by the Columbia Water Center, produced with Veolia Water and Growing Blue, could help expose the real nature of water risk–even in places that most people think of as having plenty of water.

Trouble in America’s Water Paradise

by | 4.23.2013 at 10:03am
Los Angeles River

America’s strong water infrastructure has been key to its success as a nation. Yet the nation’s continual waste of water and lack of commitment to long-term water investments has halted its progress.

Water Security: Finding Solutions for a World at Risk

by | 3.28.2013 at 6:24pm
Groundwater pumping accounts for as much as one-fifth of India's electricity consumption.

“This is a mess, and it is a mess that we have not attended to yet,” Earth Institute Director Jeffrey Sachs said at a conference on water security held today at Columbia University. “Humanity is the driver, but we don’t have our hands on the steering wheel very much.”

Columbia University to Monitor NYC Waterways

by | 3.28.2013 at 10:46am

Dr. Wade McGillis of Columbia University’s Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory is the Lead Principal Investigator on a new project entitled “NYC Sustainable Urban Water Quality: the Earthwatch Institute Freshwater Program”, set to take place through January 2017. Dr. McGillis and his staff will be working in partnership with the Earth Watch Institute to deliver this [...]

Geocharts: Water Challenges Around the World

by | 2.28.2013 at 11:28am
geocharts

View four interactive maps that give an overview of some of the water challenges different parts of the world currently face.

Tensiometers in Punjab

by | 2.20.2013 at 10:27am | 1 Comment
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So far, tensiometers have been tested in four central districts of Punjab, initially with more than 500 farmers the first year, and then peaking with an additional 4,500 farmers in 2011 before testing was scaled back. Data showed, on average, a 30 percent reduction in the water used in the test plots when compared with the standard practices employed in the control plots.

Achieving Sustainable Water, Energy and Agriculture in Gujarat, India

by | 2.19.2013 at 12:01pm | 2 Comments
Groundwater pump, Gujarat, India

Watch a video about the Columbia Water Center’s project to address a looming water crisis in north Gujarat, India.

Sampling The Ganges

by | 2.19.2013 at 5:35am
gangesrain

For the final part of my journey, we will be visiting numerous sites, mainly on the main rivers of Bangladesh. The samples and field data will ground truth and calibrate satellite data improving our analyses. We first stopped at an area that had converted from shrimp farming to rice, then spent two days on the mighty Ganges River.

Aquanauts Take on New York Water Issues

by | 1.2.2013 at 3:55pm
Picture 2 - Copy

Working with engineering PhD candidate Rob Elliott, we imagined a green roof and blue roof system that would serve as a space for environmental education and student wellness, the culmination of a semester spent examining and taking action on stormwater management issues in New York City.

Improving the Water Outlook in the Himalayas

by | 12.3.2012 at 7:49pm
Kullu, India

Andrew Robertson, a climate scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, discusses his research on helping reservoir managers in northern India make better planning decisions by improving their ability to predict how climate change will influence water availability.