Water Scarcity Archives - State of the Planet

Exploring the Sundarbans and Back to Dhaka

Our group of 24 Americans and Bangladeshis continued to explore the Sundarbans mangrove forest, rice farming in embanked low-lying islands, and heritage sites of Bangladesh.

by |March 22, 2023

Across the Ganges to Southwest Bangladesh and the Sundarbans

Our group of 23 American and Bangladeshi students and professors traveled from the Jamuna River to the Ganges and Gorai Rivers, and then down to an island on the edge of the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest.

by |March 18, 2023

Glacier Retreat in the Andes is Bankrupting a Billion Dollar Corporation

The developer of a controversial hydroelectric project in Chile has filed for bankruptcy, blaming Andean glacier retreat and droughts for low water flows.

by |April 15, 2022
evapotranspiration map

Space Station Instrument Provides Newly Detailed Look at Plants’ Drought Resistance

Plants in the same groups often show similar drought resistance independent of the climate in which they grow.

by |April 14, 2022

Barisal and the Eastern Channel

We are continuing our measurements of fresh and saline groundwater in Bangladesh using electromagnetic instruments. We finished our first set of measurements and have now shifted farther east near Barisal where groundwater is fresher.

by |March 23, 2022

Deploying in the Mangrove Forest

We continued our electromagnetic expedition to image fresh and saline groundwater into the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest, the world’s largest. While guards protected us from tigers, it was a wild boar that dug up some of our equipment.

by |March 18, 2022

Sailing Around the Bangladesh Coastal Zone

I am back in Bangladesh to explore the distribution of fresh and saline groundwater in the coastal zone, needed for drinking in the dry season.

by |March 12, 2022

A 1,000 Year Drought is Hitting the West. Could Desalination Be a Solution?

Filtering salt out of water is used in many parts of the world that deal with severe drought, but it can come with its own set of problems.

by |August 26, 2021
resident stands near rainwater harvesting system

Study Paves Way for Rainwater Harvesting in Mexico City

The city has installed more than 20,000 systems for some its neediest residents.

by |January 14, 2021

Climate-Driven Megadrought Is Emerging in Western U.S., Says Study

Scientists say a long-feared megadrought, worse than anything in recorded history, seems to be starting up in southwestern North America.

by |April 16, 2020