State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

General174

  • Watershed Management Takes Sustainable Development Students to the Catskills

    Watershed Management Takes Sustainable Development Students to the Catskills

    Six reservoirs in the Catskills Mountains provide about 90% of New York City’s safe drinking water, or one billion gallons of water a day. Studying the complexities of effectively managing the watershed led 30 Sustainable Development undergraduate students to spend a weekend in the Catskills exploring the water system.

  • A Jordanian With International Development Experience Advances His Career

    A Jordanian With International Development Experience Advances His Career

    He wants to change his industrial hometown in Jordan and return with sustainable development best practices from the M.S. in Sustainability Management Program. Mohammad Al Amoush, the recipient of the Sustainable Development Fellowship from King Abdullah II Fund for Development, administered by the Institute for Sustainable Development Practice in Jordan, discusses his experience as a…

  • Promising drops in India’s infant mortality?

    Promising drops in India’s infant mortality?

    New government data shows a 3-point drop in national IMR rates, and 2 to 5 point drops in our Model District states, between 2009 and 2010.

  • India’s new Annual Health Survey: the largest survey sample in the world?

    India’s anticipated Annual Health Survey surveyed a sample population of 18.2 million from 284 districts. Where do the Model Districts stand?

  • Finding the Right Graduate Program

    “It is important to be present, interested and passionate in a Master’s program.” Taking time off to travel and work helped Meg Sutton to realize that the M.A. Climate and Society program has what she was looking for in a graduate program.

  • Holidays on the High Seas

    Holidays on the High Seas

    With round-the-clock shifts, there are precious opportunities for Santa to slip onto a research ship unseen. But slip in he did, leaving treats and gifts around the R.V. Langseth to brighten our day.

  • Retrieving Instruments from the Deep

    Retrieving Instruments from the Deep

    Over the first 22 days aboard the R/V Marcus G. Langseth, we’ve zigged and zagged our way over a 360×240 mile region of the Pacific plate, first dropping instruments to the seafloor, and then shooting airguns to them (see previous posts). The final step is to recover a subset of the instruments:  34 ocean-bottom seismometers…

  • The Art of Sound in the Ocean

    The Art of Sound in the Ocean

    The NoMelt experiment aims to image the structure of an oceanic plate, including its deepest reaches up to 70 km beneath the seafloor.  One of our primary means to do so is to create sound (acoustic) waves in the ocean from the ship, and record those waves at receivers on the seafloor, after they have…

  • In Himalayas, Assessing Climate Threats to Ice, and Water Supply

    Bhutan’s Melting Glaciers May Affect Farming, Hydropower, Floods

Collage of Turkiye beach scene and Columbia University Campus with text: UN Climate Change Conference COP31, Antalya, Turkiye, Nov 9-20, 2026

COP31, the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, aims to advance dialogue, strengthen consensus, and accelerate climate action on a global scale. From November 9–20, 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, heads of state, ministers, scientists, business leaders, and civil society will gather to advance efforts in emission targets, climate finance, and adaptation and resilience. Once again, our experts, students, and global thought leaders from Columbia Climate School and across Columbia University are contributing to key events, sharing insights, and helping shape the dialogue toward ambitious, science-based solutions. Learn More

  • Watershed Management Takes Sustainable Development Students to the Catskills

    Watershed Management Takes Sustainable Development Students to the Catskills

    Six reservoirs in the Catskills Mountains provide about 90% of New York City’s safe drinking water, or one billion gallons of water a day. Studying the complexities of effectively managing the watershed led 30 Sustainable Development undergraduate students to spend a weekend in the Catskills exploring the water system.

  • A Jordanian With International Development Experience Advances His Career

    A Jordanian With International Development Experience Advances His Career

    He wants to change his industrial hometown in Jordan and return with sustainable development best practices from the M.S. in Sustainability Management Program. Mohammad Al Amoush, the recipient of the Sustainable Development Fellowship from King Abdullah II Fund for Development, administered by the Institute for Sustainable Development Practice in Jordan, discusses his experience as a…

  • Promising drops in India’s infant mortality?

    Promising drops in India’s infant mortality?

    New government data shows a 3-point drop in national IMR rates, and 2 to 5 point drops in our Model District states, between 2009 and 2010.

  • India’s new Annual Health Survey: the largest survey sample in the world?

    India’s anticipated Annual Health Survey surveyed a sample population of 18.2 million from 284 districts. Where do the Model Districts stand?

  • Finding the Right Graduate Program

    “It is important to be present, interested and passionate in a Master’s program.” Taking time off to travel and work helped Meg Sutton to realize that the M.A. Climate and Society program has what she was looking for in a graduate program.

  • Holidays on the High Seas

    Holidays on the High Seas

    With round-the-clock shifts, there are precious opportunities for Santa to slip onto a research ship unseen. But slip in he did, leaving treats and gifts around the R.V. Langseth to brighten our day.

  • Retrieving Instruments from the Deep

    Retrieving Instruments from the Deep

    Over the first 22 days aboard the R/V Marcus G. Langseth, we’ve zigged and zagged our way over a 360×240 mile region of the Pacific plate, first dropping instruments to the seafloor, and then shooting airguns to them (see previous posts). The final step is to recover a subset of the instruments:  34 ocean-bottom seismometers…

  • The Art of Sound in the Ocean

    The Art of Sound in the Ocean

    The NoMelt experiment aims to image the structure of an oceanic plate, including its deepest reaches up to 70 km beneath the seafloor.  One of our primary means to do so is to create sound (acoustic) waves in the ocean from the ship, and record those waves at receivers on the seafloor, after they have…

  • In Himalayas, Assessing Climate Threats to Ice, and Water Supply

    Bhutan’s Melting Glaciers May Affect Farming, Hydropower, Floods