This section explores the nuances of global water challenges, featuring insights by our researchers, collaborative pieces with our partners, and Q&A styled dialogues with industry experts. It complements our work by providing context, commentary, and a deeper understanding of our research findings.
The Colorado River Basin at Night
This night sky image (from the NASA Earth Observatory) shows artificial lighting – a rough proxy for population – in the Colorado River Basin and adjacent areas. A close look reveals how few people actually live in the Upper Colorado River Basin.
More Than a Playground with Dr. Sonali Abraham
School campuses are among the largest public spaces in our communities, yet many are still dominated by asphalt that traps heat and sends stormwater into the street. School greening is about reimagining those spaces with trees, gardens, and green infrastructure that make campuses cooler and healthier while capturing stormwater instead of losing it.
5 Trends Shaping Agricultural Water Use in California
California is one of the world’s most productive agricultural regions, supplying U.S. and international markets with more than 350 different farm products.
Behind the Data on Water Conflict with Morgan Shimabuku
Morgan Shimabuku co-leads one of the most consequential and sobering datasets in the global water space: the Water Conflict Chronology (now part of the Water and Peace Initiative). It is the world’s most comprehensive open-source record of water-related violence, spanning more than 4,500 years of human history and now documenting over 2,700 incidents where water has served as a trigger, a weapon, or a casualty of conflict.
Why the Most Important Water Work is the Hardest to Fund
Water is increasingly moving from the edges of climate conversation to its center. Droughts are deepening, floods are growing more intense, and the systems communities depend on for clean, reliable water are under more strain every year.
7 Steps to Integrate Biodiversity into Corporate Water Stewardship
With increasing focus on nature-positive actions and global biodiversity targets, companies require guidance, approaches, and tools that extend beyond simply mitifating water risk to providing larger ecosystem benefits.
5 Key Findings from 60 Years of Water Use in California
Water is essential for California, supporting households, agriculture, ecosystems, and the state’s economy. Yet across the state, rivers, streams, and aquifers are stressed from overuse, and climate change and continued growth are increasing pressure on water resources.
7 Water Efficiency Strategies You Can Use at Home Today
Improving water efficiency doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, many strategies are simple, proven, and available right now.
Climate Disasters and Federal Funding Uncertainty in 2025 Deepen Threats to Water and Sanitation Systems
In 2025, a growing mismatch was evident between escalating climate disruptions to water and sanitation systems and more uncertain federal support.
3 Insights to Accelerate Corporate Water Stewardship in California
In California, an economically critical region, the evidence of a mounting water crisis is clear. Over the past decade, a group of first movers has shown what is possible with corporate water stewardship.