The Lifeblood of a City: Sustainable Water
"Water is the lifeblood of our bodies, our economy, our nation and our well-being". That prior expression is a quote from Stephen Johnson and so perfectly summarises both the emblematic and very tangible importance of water in our own lives
Why Water holds the key to sustainable development
Sustainable development is not possible without ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. As Sustainable Development Goal 6 states, access to WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) is a basic right, and persons with disabilities are
The Grail of Life: An Interview with GRAYL
So long as water is the basis of human life on Earth, there will always be a lot of interest and intrigue that goes along with it. But despite the improvements in sanitation technology and knowledge over the years, millions
Good for the Soul: An Interview with Soulbottles
Calling the bottled water industry large would be a huge understatement. In just the US alone sales in the industry were around $16 billion in 2017, outpacing all soda sales combined for the first time in history, and the global
Peat Swamps: The Forgotten Fix for Climate Change
“Drain the swamp!” It was Donald Trump’s campaign metaphor for purging everything bad in Washington DC. But he got his metaphor all wrong. Swamps are good. And, while Trump may not believe much in climate change, the UN climate conference
Water in Our World: Our Most Precious Resource
Water is one of the world's most precious resources and one that is often taken for granted. Even today, access to safe drinking water is not a guarantee for many people across the world and as climate change takes its
India’s Twin Challenges En Route To Water Sustainability
Water Access and Affordability Let’s start by facing some mind boggling numbers. Unicef data shows, India is home to around 594 million people (over 50 per cent of its population) defecating in the open. Only a quarter of India's population have access to
How Water Saved Iceland from an Economic Crisis
Editor's Note: This piece is co-authored by Arriana Spallone and Gaia Garofalo. Following the Lehman financial debacle in 2008, Iceland experienced a de facto bankruptcy triggered by an economic crisis so profound the country appeared to be doomed to failure. Fast-forward
Contamination, Part I: The Largest Poisoning of a Population in History
How is a small town in New England like a small town in Bangladesh? In 1998, a problem caught the attention of a team of researchers at Columbia University. They took a closer look. What they saw led them to join
IMPAKTER ESSAY: Water, Water: Everywhere, Nowhere, and Such High Prices
Water is life’s matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water. –Albert Szent-Györgi, 1937 winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Water is known to be as plentiful as air and just as free. Most of
Water Politics in the Middle East
Water politics is the thirst for power through water. As water becomes an increasingly scarce resource, we will see its presence grow in global discourses, negotiations, and conflicts. Although water was considered essential for the realization of most human rights, it
The Example of Venezuela: How Water Mismanagement Led to Disaster
Mismanagement of water resources around the world has meant that today more than one billion people lack access to decent water and risk their lives because of sanitation problems. Causes are multiple and include wasteful irrigation, water leakage, and theft