Land & water
From forests and farms to glaciers, coastal waters, and oceans, the science and future of land use and water on our changing planet.
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Site news
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In a new study comparing gas, propane, and all-electric commercial kitchens, researchers documented temperatures as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit and nitrogen dioxide above the EPA’s one-hour outdoor air standard in 70% of gas and propane kitchens.
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Researchers are building an online tool to help woodlot owners and farmers navigate options for preserving their land and livelihoods.
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Wastewater treatment plants in the San Francisco Bay are facing a $10 billion bill to reduce pollution. They could cut that cost nearly in half through coordinated regional infrastructure investments rather than individual plant upgrades, according to new research.
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Documenting the seasonal fate of these tiny marine organisms is a step toward understanding how ecosystems in the world's fastest-warming region may change as ice recedes.
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During a summer fellowship, Sophia Siegel, BS Earth Systems ’25, MS Earth Systems ’26, helped weigh proposed changes to one of the world’s largest marine protected areas.
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Two Stanford-based groups convened a panel on natural capital, water security, and mining at UN conference and launched a policymaker summary of their report on Mongolia.
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Ecologist Sebastian Heilpern studies biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems and works with local communities to help align conservation with human well-being and energy security.
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Natalie Larson, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, shares how an innovative 3D printing approach is transforming applications across structural batteries, antennas, soft robotics, and more. With support from the Stanford Sustainability Accelerator, she's working on a scalable 3D printing process for cultivated meat.
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Recent graduate Emily Paris, PhD ’26, studies Earth’s most extreme deep-sea environments to learn about the habitability of ancient Mars and inform carbon storage efforts.
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Civil and environmental engineer Khalid Osman seeks to change the world through infrastructure and create a future where all communities have access to safe and reliable services.
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E-IPER alum Ryo Takanashi received support from programs at Stanford Ecopreneurship and the TomKat Center for his startup working to transform clunky, disparate data into a powerful database of real-time water access information.
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Recent graduate Edward Apraku, PhD ’26, combined environmental engineering with a commitment to community impact during his time at Stanford.
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Environmental chemist Nina Zhao seeks to understand the chemicals in our lives, and why people respond so differently to the same drug, pesticide, or pollutant.
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Stanford researchers are working with the City of Santa Cruz to improve assistance programs for residents who pay their water bills indirectly through rent.
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The U.S. Department of Energy announced the first phase of funding for projects using artificial intelligence to tackle the nation’s most complex science and technology challenges, including six led by Stanford and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.
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Stanford engineer Khalid Osman and collaborators are building modeling tools to help water system managers find the most cost-effective option for improving their community’s drinking water.
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As COVID-19 disrupted rural economies, communities living near protected rainforests faced rising uncertainty about jobs, health and basic needs.
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Hotter, drier conditions could leave millions of Americans struggling to afford tap water. The cost of drought resilience measures, such as desalination plants, will likely fall on ratepayers, with the greatest impact on low-income and minority communities, according to the research.
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PhD student Fridah Nyakundi studies ways to improve food policy and production, focusing on how fish farmers in western Kenya perceive and manage risk.
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Environmental microbiologist Yaochun Yu studies how microbes break down pesticides, plastic additives, and other chemicals in the environment. His goal is to enable new ways to clean up pollution and design safer chemicals for the future.
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Stanford water experts discuss America's hundreds of thousands of dams, controversy over the planned removal of two in Northern California, and the future of water infrastructure.
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During the Stanford Sustainability Forum, the chef and founder of a global food relief organization discussed access to clean cooking fuels and pathways for quickly moving solutions into action.
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The chronic disease schistosomiasis wreaks havoc on more than 220 million people around the world. New research shows how introducing fish into rice fields could help reduce disease incidence and poverty in a hot spot for the disease
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Labor abuses remain a challenge in parts of the global fishing industry, especially for migrant workers at sea. Stanford's Center for Ocean Solutions and Center for Human Rights and International Justice partnered with fishers, industry, government, and civil society to develop a digital platform that strengthens accountability.
