Water Archives - State of the Planet

Damaris Reyes at podium

Water Week Event Sparks Deep Discussion Around Community-driven Urban Planning

More than 70 researchers, government officials, consultants, and academics came together at the Forum to discuss alternative solutions and approaches for water action in cities.

by Lyndsay Gehring |April 21, 2023
A man stands in front of a podium, with a panelists table and slideshow behind him.

First ‘Worlds at Waste’ Conference Takes an Interdisciplinary Look at Water in South Asia

From glaciers and landslides to displacement and flooding, two Columbia University professors broke down academic silos and reflected on water issues.

by |April 19, 2023

Affordable Energy and Water Are Out of Reach for the Urban Poor. Providing Both Would Be Simple.

A visit to a slum in Kampala, Uganda, reveals how the poor pay exorbitant prices for basic utilities that other city dwellers take for granted. The problem could be easily solved.

by Vijay Modi |June 6, 2022
hands catch water coming out of a hand pump

The Shape of Water: Engaging Budding Scientists to Explore the Deep

A preview of Barnard College’s World Water Day events

by |March 16, 2022
Mount Kanchenjunga, the third largest mountain in the world, is shared between Nepal and India. Credit ICIMOD.

Glaciers a Common Thread Throughout New UN Climate Report

Across many chapters and sections of the new IPCC report, glaciers help to tell the story of climate change’s global impacts and how communities are responding.

by |February 28, 2022
Shannon Márquez headshot

Shannon Márquez: Empowering Women and Girls Through Access to Water and Sanitation

The engineer and environmental health researcher studies the intersections of gender, water, sanitation, and hygiene.

by |February 11, 2022
boat and hydrophones from underwater

An Immersive Art Installation Records the Sounds of the Sea

Columbia’s School of the Arts will present Jana Winderen’s “The Art of Listening: Under Water,” February 3-13.

by Eve Glasberg |February 7, 2022
indrani pal headshot

Professor Indrani Pal Recieves ‘Moonshot Award’ for Her Water Work in California

Pal and her team identified how a data-driven approach would enhance the state’s ability to predict water supplies.

by Frederique Fyhr |February 1, 2022

Traditional Water Management Practices in Pakistan Threatened by Climate Change and Globalization

A practice used to manage glacial water resources that is central to cultures in northern Pakistan is facing enormous transformation in the modern day.

by |January 20, 2022
flooding in highway

Penny Wise and Pound Foolish? NYC Budget Cuts Aggravated Flooding and Deaths

When drainage infrastructure isn’t maintained, even modest rainfall events can cause dangerous flooding.

by Yunus Kovankaya, Sara Schwetschenau, and Upmanu Lall |January 6, 2022