Drought
Tribes could lease their water to dry states. Why is it so hard?
The Colorado River Indian Tribes can now lease water to non-Indigenous users along the drought-stricken river. Most nations can’t do the same.
Read MoreThe surging demand for data is guzzling Virginia’s water
The commonwealth is home to the data center capital of the world. Can it handle AI’s thirst?
Read MoreZambians Feel the Personal Consequences of Climate Change—and Dream of a Sustainable Future
CHONGWE, Zambia—Benson Chipungu sits in a leather armchair and reaches for the remote to switch off the news. Pieces of fabric hang over the windows, darkening the room against the heat. A gas-powered hand-plough is parked in the corner. On the floors behind his chair, dozens of ears of corn are spread out, a display […]
Read MoreA River in Flux
This project was originally published in Science magazine. The story was supported by the Pulitzer Center and the Pendleton Mazer Family Fund. MANAUS, Brazil—Jochen Schöngart darts back and forth along an escarpment just above the Amazon River, a short water taxi ride from downtown Manaus, Brazil. It’s still early this October morning in 2023, but […]
Read MoreUtah Legislature Takes Aim at Rights of Nature Movement
Lawmakers in Utah are advancing legislation aimed at stopping a growing “rights of nature” movement that has coalesced around efforts in the state to save the Great Salt Lake, which is drying up as a combination of climate change, development and agriculture drain on its freshwater sources. With activists promoting legislation recognizing that the Great […]
Read MoreIs the Southwest too dry for a mining boom?
Critical minerals for the clean energy transition are abundant in the Southwest, but the dozens of mines proposed to access them will require vast sums of water, something in short supply in the desert.
Read MoreGroundwater levels are falling worldwide — but there are solutions
New research shows how to protect the aquifers that hold most of the world’s fresh water.
Read MoreLouisiana’s saltwater wedge is a slow-motion disaster
Drought on the Mississippi River is pulling salt water toward New Orleans, threatening drinking water supplies.
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