Author: Lakis Polycarpou4

Lakis Polycarpou is a professional author and freelance writer. His articles for State of the Planet have covered water scarcity, climate change, drought, flood, food security, supply chains, geopolitics and other topics. Between 2010 and 2016, Lakis worked with the Columbia Water Center to articulate and communicate innovative solutions to global water and climate challenges. He can be contacted at https://www.cleantechwriting.com/ Visit website »

Using Tree Rings to Understand and Protect New York’s Water

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…
Mosquito Traps for the Future

The New York Times reported yesterday on a new, simple approach to mosquito control that—if accurate–could be a game changer in the world’s efforts to eradicate mosquito-borne diseases.
Water, Oil, Food – A Crisis for Saudi Arabia and the World

A water crisis is unfolding in Saudi Arabia that could have profound implications for both the Saudi people and for the rest of the world.
The Year of Drought and Flood

It seems that this year the world is experiencing a crisis of both too little water and too much. And while these crises often occur simultaneously in different regions, they also happen in the same places as short, fierce bursts of rain punctuate long dry spells.
Water Scarcity: A Shared Problem With a World of Solutions

Columbia scientists and affiliates from four continents came together for the first time last week to discuss global water scarcity, present solutions from their own countries, transfer knowledge and present next steps to scale up current projects.
Can Water Scarcity Bring Down a Government? Yemen Spirals Out of Control

According to The New York Times, Yemen, a nation of 24 million people that sits at the southern and southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is “on the brink of an economic collapse so dire it could take years to recover.”
The Uncertainties of Groundwater and Climate in India: An Interview with Chandra Kiran Krishnamurthy

Since he arrived at the Columbia Water Center at its founding in 2008, Chandra Kiran Krishnamurthy has been unswervingly focused on two questions. First, how will groundwater depletion and climate change affect agriculture in India? And given the dire nature of the crisis, what can we do to help people adapt?
Hitting the Green in Cuba–Again

In a somewhat distressing development, the New York Times reports that the Cuban golf industry will soon be back in business after a 50-year hiatus that started when Fidel Castro first came to power.
Giving the Earth a Cool Shower–Is Massive Irrigation Hiding the Greenhouse Effect Around the World?

According to research published in Climate Dynamics by Benjamin I. Cook, Michael Puma and Nir Krakauer, it is possible that massive irrigation is masking expected warming trends from Greenhouse Gasses .

Using Tree Rings to Understand and Protect New York’s Water

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…
Mosquito Traps for the Future

The New York Times reported yesterday on a new, simple approach to mosquito control that—if accurate–could be a game changer in the world’s efforts to eradicate mosquito-borne diseases.
Water, Oil, Food – A Crisis for Saudi Arabia and the World

A water crisis is unfolding in Saudi Arabia that could have profound implications for both the Saudi people and for the rest of the world.
The Year of Drought and Flood

It seems that this year the world is experiencing a crisis of both too little water and too much. And while these crises often occur simultaneously in different regions, they also happen in the same places as short, fierce bursts of rain punctuate long dry spells.
Water Scarcity: A Shared Problem With a World of Solutions

Columbia scientists and affiliates from four continents came together for the first time last week to discuss global water scarcity, present solutions from their own countries, transfer knowledge and present next steps to scale up current projects.
Can Water Scarcity Bring Down a Government? Yemen Spirals Out of Control

According to The New York Times, Yemen, a nation of 24 million people that sits at the southern and southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is “on the brink of an economic collapse so dire it could take years to recover.”
The Uncertainties of Groundwater and Climate in India: An Interview with Chandra Kiran Krishnamurthy

Since he arrived at the Columbia Water Center at its founding in 2008, Chandra Kiran Krishnamurthy has been unswervingly focused on two questions. First, how will groundwater depletion and climate change affect agriculture in India? And given the dire nature of the crisis, what can we do to help people adapt?
Hitting the Green in Cuba–Again

In a somewhat distressing development, the New York Times reports that the Cuban golf industry will soon be back in business after a 50-year hiatus that started when Fidel Castro first came to power.
Giving the Earth a Cool Shower–Is Massive Irrigation Hiding the Greenhouse Effect Around the World?

According to research published in Climate Dynamics by Benjamin I. Cook, Michael Puma and Nir Krakauer, it is possible that massive irrigation is masking expected warming trends from Greenhouse Gasses .