impact stories
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Better Data, Better Maps: Supporting Ebola Response in Eastern Congo
An effective Ebola response depends on knowing not only where cases are being reported, but also where people live, where health facilities are located and which health areas are responsible for reaching them.
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Alumni Spotlight: Donald Wissell Fuses Finance and Sustainability
According to Wissell, sustainability and finance require the same skills, including innovative thinking, problem solving, and public education.
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Project Aims to Map World’s Oceans by 2030
More than 85 percent of the ocean floor remains unmapped, leaving us in the dark about much of the earth’s topography. A global, non-profit effort will try to remedy that, and influence everything from climate research and weather prediction to mineral resource exploration and fisheries.
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Tracking the Undoing of Climate-Change Measures
The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law is launching a new tool to identify and explain the efforts taken by the incoming administration to scale back or wholly eliminate federal climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.
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Lamont to Develop New Earthquake and Tsunami Warning System
A new pilot program led by the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory aims to provide earlier and more accurate warnings of damaging ground-shaking from earthquakes and the imminent arrival of tsunamis.
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Students Advise County on Permeable Pavement
The biggest barrier to installation or permeable pavement is funding. But the positive outcomes include reduced flooding, less stormwater runoff, and recharging of aquifers.
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CIESIN Teams with Facebook to Develop Open, Improved Settlement Data
New high-resolution population data will help us understand better how people are distributed in many countries throughout the world—as part of Facebook’s goal to connect people everywhere to the Internet.
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New York Lets a Thousand Bioswales Bloom
In an effort to curb sewage overflows, New York City has turned to green infrastructure: right-of-way bioswales, green roofs and rain gardens, among other practices. These measures help decrease stormwater runoff by increasing pervious areas and introducing water-loving plants that can absorb some of the water and encourage evaporation.
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Cities: the Vanguard Against Climate Change
Cities are leading the fight against climate change. Here’s what some of the most forward-looking ones are doing.
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
