Posts
-
Water Shortages in Jordan
By Melissa von Mayrhauser Jordan is the third most water scarce country in the world, while its population is rising at approximately 3% annually. Columbia’s SEE-U Jordan program is investigating the reasons behind the country’s lack of water security while also considering possible solutions. We dove into our studies by swimming in the Red and…
-
Imaging the Cascadia Subduction Zone
In the research expedition now underway, we will investigate the Juan de Fuca plate before it disappears under North America to understand why earthquakes happen where and when they do within the Cascadia subduction zone off the Pacific Northwest. Our ship, the R/V Marcus G. Langseth, is one of 25 research vessels available to U.S.…
-
Bringing Access to Safe Water in Ceará, Brazil: PepsiCo Foundation and the Columbia Water Center to Participate in Rio+20
The work of the PepsiCo Foundation and the Columbia Water Center in Ceara, Brazil, provides a case study in the role public-private partnerships in the sustainable management of water sources.
-
Finally – Some true Turkish Delight! Discovery of some tasty oaks
After a few days of mild frustration, the sampling of potentially old umbrella pine lifted our spirits and put us in a good frame of mind to conduct our last day of research in the temperate rainforest region of northeastern Turkey. We headed out of Borçka and met with a forest officer in charge of forests…
-
Water Risks for Industry in India – New Report from Columbia Water Center
Companies globally are increasingly focused on the emerging risk of water scarcity, and so are their investors. The combination of rising populations, rapid economic growth in developing countries, and climate variability is triggering enormous water availability challenges around the world. We are at a critical juncture where the crises of food, energy and water, commodity…
-
Linking Environmental Governance and Peacebuilding at Rio
As world leaders gather next week for Rio+20, they would do well to bear in mind the core importance of governance of natural resources in the route to peace and stability.
-
Burma at a Crossroads for Peace-Building and Natural Resource Governance
After a half century of authoritarian rule, armed conflict against millions of ethnic minorities, and natural resource plunder, Burma, also known as Myanmar, now stands at a crossroads. As conditions for peace coalesce and civil society begins to blossom, there is hope once more for Burma’s people. A new set of challenges emerge, however, around…
-
Earth Institute Fall 2012 Internships
This fall, the Earth Institute, Columbia University is offering Columbia students opportunities to intern within various departments and research centers at the Earth Institute. All full-time Columbia and Barnard students are eligible to apply for internships. These internships are funded at a rate of $15/hr for 10 hours per week and up to a maximum…
-
Daniel Hillel, Originator of High-Efficiency Irrigation, to Receive World Food Prize
Daniel Hillel, an adjunct senior scientist at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, has been awarded the World Food Prize for his work in conceiving and promoting water-saving methods that have increased crop production on arid lands in 30 countries.
