Latest reports by WHO on microplastics and World Bank on water pollution reveal knowledge gaps on potential harm caused by microplastics in drinking water, and dangers posed by other forms of water pollution. IWMI/WLE's reactions were featured in global media.
A report from the UN Food and Agricultural Organization warns that a lack of diversity in the world’s food sources could loom as an environmental challenge as much as climate change. Ann Tutwiler, Chair of WLE and of Bioversity International USA, spoke on the topic at a recent forum of the Center for Strategic and International Studies and afterward answered questions from The Washington Times’ Maggie Garred.
Can the world produce 10 billion healthy diets while transitioning agriculture from a source of degradation to one of restoration? Experts give insight at the EAT Food Forum on how best to take on this question, as WLE and EAT prepare the launch of the global Commission on Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture.
In mountainous areas of Nepal, springs are the primary source of water for remote communities, serving as a mainstay of rural livelihoods, but discharge from springs is declining. Recharging and sustaining groundwater aquifers is key for ensuring year-round water availability. IWMI researchers are using environmental isotopes analysis, hydro-meteorological and hydrogeological measurements to identify the dominant recharge zones for springs.
The Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, produced under the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), warns that human activity could lead to the extinction of 1 million species. This Global Report brings together knowledge from the previous regional IPBES assessments, to which WLE researchers contributed.
A special ‘Synthesis’ issue that collates research outputs from participating CGIAR centers was one of the key action points discussed at a workshop on Land and Water Solutions (LWS) – Flagship 2 of the CGIAR Research Program Water, Land and Ecosystems.
Advancing the agenda of land restoration in Africa’s Sahel region, let alone globally, is no small feat. But it is essential to underpinning fragile livelihoods and achieving the SDG’s.
In recent years, the mitigation of climate change and the improvement of soil fertility by sequestering carbon in the soil has become a hot research topic. The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), supported by WLE, have had great success in developing projects to provide individual farmers and extension officers with soil information of relevance for their management decisions, meeting an increasing need for spatial data on soil properties at multiple scales.
Inland fisheries are being overlooked in policy, management and development decisions, which is ultimately undermining the vital food and livelihood benefits they provide to the poor.
Severe flooding and drought caused by extreme weather patterns lead to about 10,000 deaths and US$40 billion in damage a year, with the number and extremity of the events is slated to increase in the future. The agricultural sector is particularly vulnerable.
Launched this year at Stockholm World Water Week, GRIPP has curated over 20 solutions for Groundwater-Based Natural Infrastructure, or GBNI, contributed from experts around the world. Groundwater is natural capital, and if managed properly, can provide resilience and water security in the face of future changes. Check out some case studies and learn more about the solutions on the new GRIPP platform.