water matters16
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In Dry Texas, Recycled Water Looks Better and Better
As the drought in Texas continues with no end in sight, some cities are turning to innovative water alternatives in an attempt to maintain quality of life as they know it. The new mindset includes viewing waste water as an asset.
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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.
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Community Associations and Sustainable Development in Rural Brazil
After spending two days back in the big city of Fortaleza learning about the finer points of water management in the state of Ceará, I’ve returned to the rural municipality of Milhã, ground zero for the Columbia Water Center’s project to improve water access in Brazil’s semi-arid sertão region. Our group is now just three:…
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Can Canadian Water Slake America’s Need for Power?
At a time when the world is abuzz with talk of reducing carbon dioxide emissions to stem the tide of climate change, Canada’s surfeit of hydropower production appears an attractive option to people south of the border who still rely on fossil fuel-generated electricity.
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Water Problems Are Solvable: The International Water Forum at the UN
Water problems are solvable. None of the many challenges are outside of the ability of human-kind to respond and resolve. As with so many things, political will and money are needed, but the International Water Forum at the UN took it further; the general public has to understand and care before the political will and…
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Bringing Water to Rural Communities in Brazil
Though Portuguese settlers and Brazilians have lived in the sertão since the 16th century, it has never been an easy place to thrive. The primary reason is water.
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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.
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Bottled Water – Big Business in Indonesia
The movement to challenge the bottled water industry has come a pretty long way in countries like the USA, Australia and Canada. Public education campaigns by organizations like the Council of Canadians, Pacific Institute and Corporate Accountability International, have debunked the myth that bottled water is necessarily cleaner or healthier than tap water, and emphasized…
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Safety Be Dammed: High-Risk Dams on the Rise
In the still hours just before midnight on March 12, 1928, thousands of people slumbered in the handful of agricultural communities nestled along the Santa Clara River in Ventura County, California. Tony Harnischfeger and his family slept quietly in a small house at the foot of the St. Francis Dam, a 195-foot high concrete gravity…

AGU25, the premier Earth and space science conference, takes place December 15-19, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year’s theme—Where Science Connects Us—puts in focus how science depends on connection, from the lab to the field to the ballot box. Once again, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School scientists, experts, students, and educators are playing an active role, sharing our research and helping shape the future of our planet. #AGU25 Learn More
