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.
Food Agriculture Aquatic ecosystems Fluid mechanics Forests Freshwater resources Ice Land use Coastal ecosystems Fisheries and aquaculture Ocean chemistry Oceanography
Site news
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A new model taps into the power of cooperation to promote sustainable palm oil production in Indonesia.
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Stanford study on microbes in extremely salty water suggests life may survive conditions previously thought to be uninhabitable. The research widens the possibilities for where life may be found throughout our solar system and shows how changes in salinity may affect life in aquatic habitats on Earth.
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A Stanford expert discusses how thinking on smaller scales about water treatment and reuse could help meet the challenges of water scarcity.
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A new book by Buzz Thompson focuses on how water managers can team up with the private sector to overcome the daunting obstacles to making safe, affordable, and sustainable water a reality everywhere.
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Though food systems are a big driver of the climate crisis, they can also help combat it. Research shows how seafood can be incorporated into national climate strategies at COP28.
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An expert in the global cycles of carbon and water explains how they are inextricably bound to one another and fundamental to the future of life on planet Earth.
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Stanford cofounders are betting on the farm with soil-based carbon removal.
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Farmers in India have adapted to warming temperatures by intensifying the withdrawal of groundwater used for irrigation - a trend that could further threaten food and water security, according to a new study coauthored by Stanford environmental scientist David Lobell.
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Stanford-led research reveals a massive and accelerating transfer of water from rural groundwater sources to Jordan’s cities through an unlicensed tanker water market. Recognizing this previously hidden demand for water could be critical for improving urban water security in water-stressed cities in Jordan and elsewhere.
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Switching from hydropower to fossil fuels during droughts has led to higher carbon emissions and cost 11 Western states tens of billions of dollars over the past two decades, Stanford research finds.
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An engineer explains why purifying “waste” water could be the answer to the world’s freshwater problems. (Source: Stanford Engineering's The Future of Everything podcast)
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How scientists found the leading source of high lead levels in pregnant women in Bangladesh. (Source: Stanford Medicine)
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Scientists have long suspected that the weight of snow and ice in nearby mountains could throw off groundwater assessments tied to elevation changes in California’s Central Valley, but they lacked a way to quantify the effect. A new study demonstrates a solution. (Source: Stanford News)
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Stanford’s Felicia Marcus discusses grand-scale climate adaptation projects with experts from three major urban areas: Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and New York City.
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The May 25 U.S. Supreme Court decision Sackett v EPA "dramatically shrinks the authority of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers to regulate wetlands," Stanford environmental law expert Deborah Sivas explains. (Source: Stanford Law School)
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Water and natural resources expert Buzz Thompson discusses a recent tentative deal to reduce water use by entities drawing from the Colorado River, averting near-term potential disaster and predictions that the river could all but stop. (Source: Stanford Law School)
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Giulio De Leo and his collaborators have been testing an unconventional solution to a parasitic disease. (Source: Stanford Magazine)
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A new tool for designing and managing irrigation for farms advances the implementation of smart agriculture, an approach that leverages data and modern technologies to boost crop yields while conserving natural resources. (Source: Stanford News)
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Stanford water and sanitation expert Jenna Davis discusses surprising freshwater challenges and potential solutions in the U.S. and abroad. (Source: Stanford Program on Water, Health & Development)
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Leveraging blue foods can help policymakers address multiple global challenges, a new analysis shows. (Source: Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions)
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New analysis shows the U.S. has accounted for more wetland conversion and degradation than any other country. Its findings help better explain the causes and impacts of such losses and inform protection and restoration of wetlands. (Source: Stanford News)
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Stanford and local experts discuss ways to mitigate risk to communities and infrastructure amid dramatic swings between flood and drought.
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Plant-based and lab-grown meat substitutes are here to stay, but are unlikely to eliminate livestock agriculture’s climate and land use impacts anytime soon, according to Stanford environmental scientist David Lobell. In the meantime, Lobell says we should also focus on reducing emissions of animal-based systems. (Source: Stanford News)
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According to a recent study, when providers act to curtail water use or invest in new infrastructure because of a drought, bills can rise for low-income households and drop for high-income households. (Source: Stanford News)
