Tag: environment

Water – at the center of the climate crisis

Photocomposition: a faceut with a drop coming out of it, with a red circle behing the drop.

Climate change is exacerbating both water scarcity and water-related hazards (such as floods and droughts), as rising temperatures disrupt precipitation patterns and the entire water cycle.

Water and climate change are inextricably linked. Climate change affects the world’s water in complex ways. From unpredictable rainfall patterns to shrinking ice sheets, rising sea levels, floods and droughts – most impacts of climate change come down to water.

Climate change is exacerbating both water scarcity and water-related hazards (such as floods and droughts), as rising temperatures disrupt precipitation patterns and the entire water cycle.

Get more facts on climate and water below.
 

Water scarcity
 

  • Over two billion people worldwide don’t have access to safe drinking water today, and roughly half of the world’s population is experiencing severe water scarcity for at least part of the year. These numbers are expected to increase, exacerbated by climate change and population growth.
  • Only 0.5 per cent of water on Earth is useable and available freshwater – and climate change is dangerously affecting that supply. Over the past twenty years, terrestrial water storage – including soil moisture, snow and ice – has dropped at a rate of 1 cm per year, with major ramifications for water security.
  • Melting glaciers, snow and permafrost are affecting humans and ecosystems in mid-to-high latitudes and the high-mountain regions. These changes are already impacting irrigation, hydropower, water supply, and populations depending on ice, snow and permafrost.
  • Climate change is one of the key drivers of the loss and degradation of freshwater ecosystems and the unprecedented decline and extinction of many freshwater-dependent populations, particularly due to land use and pollution.
  • Limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to 2°C would approximately halve the proportion of the world population expected to suffer water scarcity, although there is considerable variability between regions.
  • Water quality is also affected by climate change, as higher water temperatures and more frequent floods and droughts are projected to exacerbate many forms of water pollution – from sediments to pathogens and pesticides.
  • Climate change, population growth and increasing water scarcity will put pressure on food supply as most of the freshwater used, about 70 per cent on average, is used for agriculture (it takes between 2000 and 5000 liters of water to produce a person’s daily food).

 Photocomposition: a dry tree in a dry soil, with the word drought written in bold big letters at the background.

Water-related hazards
 

  • Climate change has made extreme weather events such as floods and droughts more likely and more severe.
  • Rising global temperatures increase the moisture the atmosphere can hold, resulting in more storms and heavy rains, but paradoxically also more intense dry spells as more water evaporates from the land and global weather patterns change.
  • Annual mean precipitation is increasing in many regions worldwide and decreasing over a smaller area, particularly in the tropics.
  • Climate change has increased the likelihood of extreme precipitation events and the associated increase in the frequency and magnitude of river floods.
  • Climate change has also increased the likelihood or severity of drought events in many parts of the world, causing reduced agricultural yields, drinking water shortages, increased wildfire risk, loss of lives and economic damages.
  • Drought and flood risks, and associated societal damages, are projected to further increase with every degree of global warming.
  • Water-related disasters have dominated the list of disasters over the past 50 years and account for 70 per cent of all deaths related to natural disasters.
  • Since 2000, flood-related disasters have risen by 134 per cent compared with the two previous decades. Most of the flood-related deaths and economic losses were recorded in Asia. The number and duration of droughts also increased by 29 per cent over this same period. Most drought-related deaths occurred in Africa.

 Photocomposition: a house on the left, with a lot of water in the bottom of the image. The word floods is written in big bold white letters at the front of both illustrations.

Water solutions
 

  • Healthy aquatic ecosystems and improved water management can lower greenhouse gas emissions and provide protection against climate hazards.
  • Wetlands such as mangroves, seagrasses, marshes and swamps are highly effective carbon sinks that absorb and store CO2, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Wetlands also serve as a buffer against extreme weather events. They provide a natural shield against storm surges and absorb excess water and precipitation. Through the plants and microorganisms that they house, wetlands also provide water storage and purification.
  • Early warning systems for floods, droughts and other water-related hazards provide a more than tenfold return on investment and can significantly reduce disaster risk: a 24-hour warning of a coming storm can cut the ensuing damage by 30 per cent.
  • Water supply and sanitation systems that can withstand climate change could save the lives of more than 360,000 infants every year.
  • Climate-smart agriculture using drip irrigation and other means of using water more efficiently can help reduce demand on freshwater supplies.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/water?

Water scarcity

Addressing the growing lack of available water to meet children’s needs.

In Djibouti, water is as precious as it is scarce. Since the drought started in 2007, rainfall has dramatically reduced and water levels in traditional wells have dropped forcing women and children to walk long distances for water.
UNICEF/UN0199521/Noorani

Jump to

Even in countries with adequate water resources, water scarcity is not uncommon. Although this may be due to a number of factors — collapsed infrastructure and distribution systems, contamination, conflict, or poor management of water resources — it is clear that climate change, as well as human factors, are increasingly denying children their right to safe water and sanitation.

Water scarcity limits access to safe water for drinking and for practising basic hygiene at home, in schools and in health-care facilities. When water is scarce, sewage systems can fail and the threat of contracting diseases like cholera surges. Scarce water also becomes more expensive.

Water scarcity takes a greater toll on women and children because they are often the ones responsible for collecting it. When water is further away, it requires more time to collect, which often means less time at school. Particularly for girls, a shortage of water in schools impacts student enrolment, attendance and performance. Carrying water long distances is also an enormous physical burden and can expose children to safety risks and exploitation.

Early in the morning, children go to fetch water at the nearest water point, 15 kilometres away from their home in Tchadi village.
UNICEF/UNI315914/Haro Niger, 2020. Early in the morning, children go to the nearest water point to fetch water, 15 kilometres away from their home in Tchadi village.

Key facts

  • Four billion people — almost two thirds of the world’s population —  experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year.
  • Over two billion people live in countries where water supply is inadequate.
  • Half of the world’s population could be living in areas facing water scarcity by as early as 2025.
  • Some 700 million people could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030.
  • By 2040, roughly 1 in 4 children worldwide will be living in areas of extremely high water stress.

UNICEF’s response

As the factors driving water scarcity are complex and vary widely across countries and regions, UNICEF works at multiple levels to introduce context-specific technologies that increase access to safe water and address the impacts of water scarcity. We focus on:

Identifying new water resources: We assess the availability of water resources using various technologies, including remote sensing and geophysical surveys and field investigations.

Improving the efficiency of water resources: We rehabilitate urban water distribution networks and treatment systems to reduce water leakage and contamination, promoting wastewater reuse for agriculture to protect groundwater.

Planning for urban scarcity: We plan for future water needs by identifying available resources to reduce the risk of cities running out of water.

Expanding technologies to ensure climate resilience: We support and develop climate-resilient water sources, including the use of deeper groundwater reserves through solar-powered water networks. We also advance water storage through small-scale retention structures, managed aquifer recharge (where water is pumped into underground reserves to improve its quality), and rainwater harvesting.

Changing behaviours: We work with schools and communities to promote an understanding of the value of water and the importance of its protection, including by supporting environmental clubs in schools.

Planning national water needs: We work with key stakeholders at national and sub-national levels to understand the water requirements for domestic use and for health and sanitation, and advocate to ensure that this is reflected in national planning considerations.

Supporting the WASH sector: We develop technical guidance, manuals and online training programmes for WASH practitioners to improve standards for water access.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

https://www.unicef.org/wash/water-scarcity?

1 in 4 people globally still lack access to safe drinking water – WHO, UNICEF

Departmental update

Reading time: 3 min (828 words)

To mark World Water Week 2025, new report highlights persistent inequalities, with vulnerable communities left behind.

Despite progress over the last decade, billions of people around the world still lack access to essential water, sanitation, and hygiene services, putting them at risk of disease and deeper social exclusion.

A new report: Progress on Household Drinking Water and Sanitation 2000–2024: special focus on inequalities –launched by WHO and UNICEF during World Water Week 2025 – reveals that, while some progress has been made, major gaps persist. People living in low-income countries, fragile contexts, rural communities, children, and minority ethnic and indigenous groups face the greatest disparities.

Ten key facts from the report:

  • Despite gains since 2015, 1 in 4 – or 2.1 billion people globally – still lack access to safely managed drinking water*, including 106 million who drink directly from untreated surface sources.
  • 3.4 billion people still lack safely managed sanitation, including 354 million who practice open defecation.
  • 1.7 billion people still lack basic hygiene services at home, including 611 million without access to any facilities.
  • People in least developed countries are more than twice as likely as people in other countries to lack basic drinking water and sanitation services, and more than three times as likely to lack basic hygiene.
  • In fragile contexts**, safely managed drinking water coverage is 38 percentage points lower than in other countries, highlighting stark inequalities.
  • While there have been improvements for people living in rural areas, they still lag behind. Safely managed drinking water coverage rose from 50 per cent to 60 per cent between 2015 and 2024, and basic hygiene coverage from 52 per cent to 71 per cent. In contrast, drinking water and hygiene coverage in urban areas has stagnated.
  • Data from 70 countries show that while most women and adolescent girls have menstrual materials and a private place to change, many lack sufficient materials to change as often as needed.
  • Adolescent girls aged 15–19 are less likely than adult women to participate in activities during menstruation, such as school, work and social pastimes.
  • In most countries with available data, women and girls are primarily responsible for water collection, with many in sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia spending more than 30 minutes per day collecting water.
  • As we approach the last five years of the Sustainable Development Goals period, achieving the 2030 targets for ending open defecation and universal access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene services will require acceleration, while universal coverage of safely managed services appears increasingly out of reach.

“Water, sanitation and hygiene are not privileges, they are basic human rights,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director a.i, Environment, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organization. “We must accelerate action, especially for the most marginalized communities, if we are to keep our promise to reach the Sustainable Development Goals.”

“When children lack access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, their health, education, and futures are put at risk,” said Cecilia Scharp, UNICEF Director of WASH. “These inequalities are especially stark for girls, who often bear the burden of water collection and face additional barriers during menstruation. At the current pace, the promise of safe water and sanitation for every child is slipping further from reach – reminding us that we must act faster and more boldly to reach those who need it most.”

Notes for editors:

Download the full report

Multimedia material is available here

This latest update – produced by WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) – provides new national, regional and global estimates for water, sanitation and hygiene services in households from 2000 until 2024. The report also includes expanded data on menstrual health for 70 countries, revealing challenges that affect women and girls across all income levels.

The report is being launched during World Water Week 24-28 August 2025, the leading annual conference on global water issues, and bringing together stakeholders from across sectors to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

____________________________ 

*JMP definition of ‘Safely managed drinking water and sanitation services’: Drinking water from sources located on premises, free from contamination and available when needed, and using hygienic toilets from which wastes are treated and disposed of safely.

**Fragile contexts: Fragility, according to the OECD, is the combination of exposure to risk and insufficient coping capacities of the state, system and/or communities to manage, absorb or mitigate those risks. It occurs in a spectrum of intensity across six dimensions: economic, environmental, human, political, security and societal.

About the JMP
The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) was established in 1990 and has been tracking global progress for 35 years. It is responsible for monitoring Sustainable Development Goal targets 1.4, 6.1 and 6.2, which call for universal access to safe water, sanitation, hygiene and the elimination of open defecation by 2030.

For more information, please contact:

WHO: mediainquiries@who.int
UNICEF: Iris Bano Romero | UNICEF New York | +1 9178048093 | ibano@unicef.org

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

https://www.who.int/news/item/26-08-2025-1-in-4-people-globally-still-lack-access-to-safe-drinking-water—who–unicef?

The Stream, November 11, 2025: America’s Water Infrastructure Needs $3.4 Trillion Investment, Report Warns

by Christian Thorsberg

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Circle of Blue
Fishermen cast their nets at sunrise on the Mekong River south of Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia. Photo © J. Carl Ganter/Circle of Blue

Global Rundown

  • A new report on the economic importance of a strong water sector forecasts that America will need to invest $3.4 trillion over the next 20 years to modernize its infrastructure. 
  • As Iran’s water crisis continues, dams in the country’s second-largest city, Mashhad, have dwindled to less than 3 percent capacity.
  • Millions of people in Niger, Nigeria, and Ghana are at high risk of surface water contamination and loss as a result of deforestation, a new report indicates. 
  • The over-extraction of sand from Cambodia’s Tonle Sap, Asia’s largest lake and a crucial Mekong River source, threatens to shrink its wet-season size by up to 40 percent.

The Lead

For every 1,000 hectares of forest cleared in Niger and Nigeria, almost 10 hectares of surface water disappear, according to a study released this month from Water Aid and Tree Aid, two international NGOs.

The links between deforestation and worsening water crises in West Africa are clear, the report shows. Across Ghana, Niger, and Nigeria, 122 million people live in areas of high surface water risk as a direct result of deforestation — a 5 million-person increase in five years. Nigeria alone, which loses 27,000 hectares of vegetation cover annually, accounts for 70 percent of this vulnerable population. 

In Niger, the impacts of deforestation are particularly dire. Tree loss imperils nearly all the country’s available freshwater sources. In the primarily arid and semi-arid country, climate change is giving rise to a pronounced “more drought, more flood” phenomenon. Without forests to filter and absorb excess water, storms – when they do arrive – are falling increasingly in extreme bursts, resulting in runoff, contamination, and infrastructure damage. But there is also hope. Of the three countries studied, Niger is the only one to achieve a net gain in forest cover since 2013, adding more than 100,000 hectares.

Recent WaterNews from Circle of Blue

This Week’s Top Water Stories, Told In Numbers

$1 million

When invested into water infrastructure in America, it yields $2.5 million in economic output, according to a report released last week by the nonprofit U.S. Water Alliance. What’s more, that $1 million provides 10 jobs, $837,000 in labor income, and $1.4 million in GDP.

The publication, a centerpiece of the organization’s Value of Water campaign, links the country’s financial health with sound water investments — a relationship that is strained by widespread underinvestment, it warns. Over the next 20 years, the report estimates that America will need to spend roughly $3.4 trillion to modernize and repair its aging wastewater, treatment, and stormwater facilities. The problem is comparatively worse in rural communities, which face greater needs per-capita than urban areas in 80 percent of states. 

Per capita, these investments would have the greatest impact in North Dakota, Iowa, Louisiana, West Virginia, Vermont, and New Hampshire. 

“Clean water utilities are on the frontlines of protecting public health and the environment. This report affirms what we have long known — that closing the investment gap will not only safeguard clean water, but also strengthen the entire U.S. economy,” Adam Krantz, CEO of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, said in the report.

In context: After Decades of Neglect, Bill Coming Due for Michigan’s Water Infrastructure

40 percent

Amount by which the wet season-size of Tonle Sap, the largest lake in Asia, will shrink by 2038 if local mining continues at its current pace, according to a study published this week in the journal Nature Sustainability. A rising demand for sand, used to make concrete and glass, has led to increased dredging in the Cambodian lake, which drains for half of the year into the Mekong River, supporting its southern flow. But during the rainy summer months of May through October, rising water levels in the Mekong reverse this trend, and Tonle Sap pulses, “expanding the lake’s surface area by 4 to 6 times and swelling its water volume to 80 cubic kilometers,” Science reports. This dynamic supports some of the world’s most biodiverse riparian, lake, and wetland habitat, and the livelihoods and cultural identities of some 60 million people who live along the Mekong’s shores. In the absence of strong, nutrient-rich pulses, fisheries and water supplies are at risk of collapse.

According to Science, sand is the world’s second most-exploited resource, “often extracted from riverbeds or shores.” Water is the most exploited. Both Cambodia and Vietnam have banned sand export, though its mining from the Mekong watershed continues, to the detriment of its health and local human communities, flora, and fauna.

In Context: Can the Mekong, the World’s Most Productive River, Endure Relentless Strain?

On the Radar

As the Tehran metropolitan area — home to nearly 18 million people — nears a potential Day Zero scenario within two weeks, Iran’s second-largest city is also facing acute water shortages amid widespread drought, exacerbated by mismanagement. 

The water levels in dams in Mashhad, population 4 million, have dwindled to less than 3 percent capacity, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. The city’s water consumption has been measured at roughly 8,000 liters per second, “of which about 1,000 to 1,500 litres per second is supplied from the dams,” Hossein Esmaeilian, the chief executive of Mashhad’s water company, told AFP. Residents are urged to reduce their water consumption by 20 percent, he said. 

Tehran officials admitted this week that water rationing began too late in the capital, a failure that may now lead to forced evacuations, according to Iran International. The country’s central plateau may be depopulated as a result of “a chronic disconnect between scientists, industry, and government agencies.” Already, residents of villages and rural regions have abandoned their land amid shortages and migrated toward city centers, further straining limited reservoir supplies.

Wetland Watch

MARSH Project: Near the historic downtown of Charleston, South Carolina, a grassroots effort to preserve important salt marshes along the Ashley River — installed amid rollbacks to the Clean Water Act — has proved successful in mitigating floods, the Associated Press reports. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

The Stream, November 11, 2025: America’s Water Infrastructure Needs $3.4 Trillion Investment, Report Warns

MEDIA ADVISORY: DC Water To Launch Pure Water DC, A Major Initiative To Develop A Second Source Of Drinking Water

Pure Water DC Logo with DC Water Logo and the text Pure Water DC Launch over graphic image of water

On November 19, DC Water will launch an ambitious effort – Pure Water DC – to reduce the District’s reliance on the Potomac River as its only water source. We’ll be hosting an event to outline our vision and strategy for resilience and host an expert panel to address one of the most critical challenges facing the nation’s capital.

Any disruption to the Potomac or Washington Aqueduct—whether from contamination, drought, or infrastructure failure—would have catastrophic consequences for public health, the economy, and national security.

Pure Water DC seeks to mitigate that risk through a comprehensive program to strengthen water supply resilience and explore a second source of water for the District. This initiative represents a major investment and a regional call to action, inviting collaboration among utilities, agencies, and stakeholders to secure a drought-proof future.

EVENT DETAILS

What: 
Launch of Pure Water DC Program, unveiling the vision and strategy for water supply resilience, followed by an expert panel discussion.

When: 
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Where: 
DC Water Headquarters 
1385 Canal Street SE 
Washington, DC 20003

Who: 
DC Water leadership, regional water utilities, environmental agencies, and federal partners including:

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • District Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)
  • Water Environment Federation (WEF)
  • Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB)
  • WSSC Water
  • Greater Washington Board of Trade

Pure Water DC is DC Water’s commitment to lead the region toward a more resilient water future. The program will explore several options, including:

  • Safeguard our existing source and optimize the distribution system.
  • Add local storage and align with regional emergency storage efforts.
  • Explore advanced water reuse from Blue Plains as a drought-proof, cost-effective second source.

DC Water has committed $21 million over three years to fund studies, pilot projects, and public engagement, including the creation of the Pure Water DC Discovery Center at Blue Plains. This facility will test purification technologies, support regulatory research, and educate the public about water resilience.

The stakes are high: a major disruption could cost the region $15 billion in the first month alone.

Media should RSVP by Tuesday, November 18, at noon to Sherri Lewis at sherri.lewis@dcwater.com to attend and learn more about the new initiative, and next steps to create a more resilient water supply.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

https://www.dcwater.com/about-dc-water/media/news/media-advisory-dc-water-launch-pure-water-dc-major-initiative-develop?

Pitt researchers reveal hidden impacts of drinking-water treatment on urban streams

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

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Urban water phosphorus subsidies
IMAGE: IMAGE SHOWING FLOW OF WATER AND TREATED WATER.view more CREDIT: PLOS WATER, ET. AL.

University of Pittsburgh Researchers Reveal Hidden Impacts of Drinking Water Treatment on Urban Streams

Aging lead-pipe drinking water systems, along with the public health measures implemented to reduce their risks, are reshaping the chemistry and health of nearby urban streams. New research from University of Pittsburgh biogeochemists, hydrologists, and environmental engineers uncovered previously overlooked environmental impacts of a common water treatment practice: adding orthophosphate to drinking water systems to prevent lead pipe corrosion. Published in PLOS Water, the study reveals that phosphate used in drinking water treatment can leak into urban streams, altering their chemistry and potentially accelerating eutrophication, the process where such nutrients lead to excessive growth of algae and aquatic plants..

And such lead-pipe networks are widespread throughout the Northeast, Great Lakes region and Midwest — meaning as many as 20 million Americans and their nearby streams may face similar challenges.

In collaboration with local water authorities, the scientists studied five urban streams to look for changes in the pre- and post-implementation of orthophosphate-based corrosion control on stream chemistry. Their findings show statistically significant increases in phosphorus and metal concentrations in streamwater following the treatment, indicating that subsurface infrastructure is not a closed system. Phosphorus concentrations in urban streams increased by over 600% following orthophosphate dosing, while trace metals such as copper, iron, and manganese also rose by nearly 3,500%, suggesting co-transport of corrosion byproducts.  

“We were surprised by how clearly the effects of drinking water treatment appeared in stream chemistry. This finding suggests that our underground infrastructure isn’t as sealed off from the environment as we often assume,” said first author Dr. Anusha Balangoda, Assistant Teaching Professor in Geology and Environmental Science in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences. “Our study is the first to examine urban stream chemistry and the influence of drinking-water additives.”

“We absolutely need to protect people from lead in drinking water,” said co-author Dr. Emily Elliott, co-founder and chair of the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory and professor in Geology and Environmental Science. “But we also need to understand how these treatments affect our rivers and ecosystems.” Elliott collaborated with co-authors Sarah-Jane-Haig, an associate professor, and Isaiah Spencer-Williams, a doctoral student, both also in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Their paper, titled “From Pipes to Streams: The Hidden Influence of Orthophosphate Additions on Urban Waterways,” was published November 13 in PLOS Water.

Public-health emergencies arising from corroded, lead-water pipes are nothing new— contaminations have made the news in the past decade in Flint, Michigan, Washington, D.C., and more recently in the study area of Pittsburgh. Phosphate corrosion inhibitors are used in water systems across North America, the United Kingdom, and parts of Europe. The researchers noted that the potential ecological consequences of this dosing of drinking-water system pipes does to streams, rivers, and groundwater remain “largely unexplored, particularly in the U.S.”

The study examined a pathway of phosphorus pollution that has received little attention: leakage from drinking water pipes rather than traditional sources like wastewater discharge or industrial runoff. The researchers monitored five above-ground urban stream reaches, selecting these because most Pittsburgh streams are buried in an underground pipe network, and collected detailed water chemistry samples monthly over a two-year period spanning before, during, and after orthophosphate treatment implementation (February 2019 to June 2020). They also conducted nutrient addition bioassays at three key time points, using both streamwater and tap water controls, to assess the ecological impacts on algal growth.

The scientists offer four corrective actions to address phosphate leakage from buried water infrastructure systems: 

1. Repair Aging Infrastructure. Urgently address the issue of drinking water pipe networks losing 40-50% of treated water through leaks and breaks, thereby preventing phosphate-enriched water from reaching urban streams and groundwater.

2. Upgrade Wastewater Treatment. Implement tertiary treatment processes at wastewater treatment plants to remove excess phosphorus. The study shows effluent phosphorus increased 26% after dosing began, yet many plants lack phosphorus removal capabilities that can achieve an 80-99% reduction.

3. Optimize Dosing Concentrations. Determine the minimum effective orthophosphate concentration that protects human health from lead exposure while minimizing ecological harm to receiving waters.

4. Develop Innovative Approaches to Monitor Infrastructure-Ecosystem Interactions. Create new monitoring and assessment methods to understand how additives in drinking water systems reach and affect urban streams through subsurface connections. 

“Pittsburgh isn’t unique—millions of Americans are served by water systems with lead pipes and aging infrastructure,” Elliott said. “Our findings suggest this issue extends far beyond one city, particularly in the Midwest and Northeast where both lead pipes and phosphate treatment are common. We need a national conversation about infrastructure and water quality.”

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation RAPID funding program (grant NSF No. 1929843), as well as the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory. The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority contributed drinking water sample collection, chemical analysis and water treatment information.

# # #

JOURNAL

PLOS Water

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

From Pipes to Streams: The Hidden Influence of 2 Orthophosphate Additions on Urban Waterways

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

13-Nov-2025

COI STATEMENT

None

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1105929?

Extreme floods are slashing global rice yields faster than expected

Flooding is emerging as a silent but powerful destroyer of global rice supplies—and the danger is accelerating.

Source:Stanford UniversitySummary:Scientists discovered that a week of full submergence is enough to kill most rice plants, making flooding a far greater threat than previously understood. Intensifying extreme rainfall events may amplify these losses unless vulnerable regions adopt more resilient rice varieties.Share:

    

FULL STORY

Rising Floods Threaten the World’s Rice
Severe flooding is increasingly damaging global rice yields, slashing production by millions of tons and threatening food security for billions. Credit: Shutterstock

Intense flooding has significantly reduced rice harvests around the world in recent decades, putting at risk the food supply of billions of people who rely on the grain as a dietary staple. Between 1980 and 2015, annual losses averaged about 4.3%, or roughly 18 million tons of rice each year, according to Stanford University research published November 14 in Science Advances.

The researchers found that the damage has grown worse since 2000 as extreme floods have become more common in many of the planet’s main rice-growing regions. They report that climate change is likely to further increase the frequency and severity of these destructive floods in the coming decades.

Droughts, Floods, and a Delicate Balance for Rice

Scientists and farmers have long known that rice yields fall during droughts. The new study adds fresh detail to this picture, estimating that droughts reduced rice yields by an average of 8.1% per year during the 35-year study window. At the same time, the work draws attention to a related but less examined danger from too much water. Rice plants benefit from shallow standing water during early growth, yet prolonged or deep flooding can severely damage or kill the crop.

“While the scientific community has focused on damage to rice yield due to droughts, the impacts of floods have not received enough attention,” said Steven Gorelick, the study’s senior co-author and a professor of Earth system science in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. “Our research documents not only areas where rice yields have suffered due to past flooding, but also where we can anticipate and prepare for this threat in the future.”

What Counts as a ‘Rice-Killing’ Flood

The research team clearly spells out, for the first time, the conditions that turn a flood into a lethal event for rice, said lead study author Zhi Li, who worked on the project as a postdoctoral fellow in Gorelick’s lab at Stanford and recently joined the faculty of the University of Colorado Boulder.

They found that a full week of complete submergence during the plant’s growth cycle is the critical tipping point. “When crops are fully submerged for at least seven days, most rice plants die,” Li said. “By defining ‘rice-killing floods,’ we were able to quantify for the first time how these specific floods are consistently destroying one of the most important staple foods for more than half of the global population.”

How the Researchers Measured Flood and Drought Damage

To estimate how much past droughts and floods have harmed rice production, the scientists combined several lines of evidence. They drew on information about rice growth stages, annual global rice yields, a worldwide database of droughts and floods dating back to 1950, a model of how floods behave across landscapes, and a simulation of soil moisture levels over time in major rice-growing river basins.

Their analysis indicates that, in the coming decades, the most intense week of rainfall in key rice-growing basins around the world could deliver 13% more rain than the average for those regions during the 1980 to 2015 baseline period. This projected increase suggests that rice-killing flood conditions may become more common as the climate continues to warm.

Flood-Resistant Rice Varieties and High-Risk Regions

Wider use of flood-resistant rice varieties could help reduce future losses, especially in the areas that face the highest risk. The study highlights the Sabarmati Basin in India, which experiences the longest rice-killing floods, along with North Korea, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, and Nepal, where the impact of such floods on rice yields has grown the most in recent decades. The greatest total losses have occurred in North Korea, East China, and India’s West Bengal.

The researchers also identified exceptions, such as India’s Pennar Basin, where flooding appears to boost rice yields. They suggest that in these locations, hot and dry conditions may allow standing floodwater to evaporate quickly, reducing long-term damage and sometimes even creating favorable moisture conditions for the crop.

Compounding Climate Stresses on Rice

For Gorelick and Li, the new findings reinforce the need to understand how rice responds not only to floods and droughts, but also to heat waves and cold stress, both individually and when they occur in succession. Earlier research has shown that rapid swings from drought to flood and back again can nearly double rice yield losses compared with single flood or drought events on their own. According to the authors, “How these combined effects can be mitigated remains a major challenge.”

Additional co-authors not mentioned above include Lorenzo Rosa, who is affiliated with the Department of Earth System Science in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and the Department of Global Ecology at the Carnegie Institution for Science. The research was supported by a Dean’s Postdoctoral Fellowship awarded to Li by the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.

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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251115095918.htm

Massive hidden waves are rapidly melting Greenland’s glaciers

Calving icebergs unleash hidden wave forces that supercharge Greenland’s melt and push the ice sheet closer to collapse.

Source:University of ZurichSummary:Researchers in Greenland used a 10-kilometer fiber-optic cable to track how iceberg calving stirs up warm seawater. The resulting surface tsunamis and massive hidden underwater waves intensify melting at the glacier face. This powerful mixing effect accelerates ice loss far more than previously understood. The work highlights how fragile the Greenland ice system has become as temperatures rise.Share:

    

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Hidden Waves Speed Up Greenland’s Melting
View of the fjord and the three-kilometer-wide calving front of Eqalorutsit Kangilliit Sermiat in southern Greenland. The fiber-optic cable was laid a few hundred meters from the ice wall through the 300-meter-deep water on the seabed. In the foreground is the UZH radar device, which measures calving events and ice movements in order to interpret the data from the fiber-optic cable. Credit: Andreas Vieli, University of Zurich

Iceberg calving happens when large pieces of ice split from the front of a glacier and fall into the ocean. This natural event is a major contributor to the rapid reduction of ice on the Greenland ice sheet. For the first time, an international team led by the University of Zurich (UZH) and the University of Washington (UW) has used fiber-optic technology to track how the impact of falling ice, along with the movement of the released ice, causes glacial meltwater to mix with warmer seawater below the surface.

“The warmer water increases seawater-induced melt erosion and eats away at the base of the vertical wall of ice at the glacier’s edge. This, in turn, amplifies glacier calving and the associated mass loss from ice sheets,” explains Andreas Vieli, a professor in UZH’s Department of Geography and co-author of the research. Vieli leads the Cryosphere cluster, one of six groups in the international GreenFjord project in southern Greenland, supported by the Swiss Polar Institute. The team’s discovery about how ice and seawater interact was highlighted on the cover of Nature.

Wave measurements using fiber-optic cable on seafloor

During the GreenFjord project, researchers from UZH, UW and several Swiss partners carried out an extensive field campaign to study calving behavior. They placed a ten-kilometer-long fiber-optic cable on the seafloor across the fjord in front of the Eqalorutsit Kangilliit Sermiat glacier. This fast-moving glacier in southern Greenland releases about 3.6 km3 of ice into the ocean each year, which is almost three times the annual volume of the Rhône glacier near the Furka mountain pass in Switzerland.

The research team relied on Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS), a method that detects tiny vibrations along the cable caused by events such as newly formed crevasses, falling ice blocks, ocean waves or temperature changes. “This enables us to measure the many different types of waves that are generated after icebergs break off,” says lead author Dominik Gräff, a UW postdoctoral researcher affiliated with ETH Zurich.

Underwater waves amplify glacier melt and erosion

After an iceberg crashes into the water, surface waves called calving-induced tsunamis sweep across the fjord and mix the upper water layers. Because seawater in Greenland’s fjords is warmer and denser than meltwater, it sinks toward the deeper layers.

The team also detected another type of wave that continues to move between density layers long after the surface becomes calm. These internal underwater waves, which can reach heights comparable to skyscrapers, cannot be seen from above but keep mixing the water for extended periods. This ongoing movement brings warm water upward, increasing melting and erosion at the glacier’s edge and promoting further calving. “The fiber-optic cable allowed us to measure this incredible calving multiplier effect, which wasn’t possible before,” says Gräff. The data gathered will support future efforts to document calving events and better understand the rapid decline of ice sheets.

A fragile and threatened system

Scientists have long known that interactions between seawater and calving play an important role in glacier retreat, but collecting detailed measurements in the field has been extremely difficult. Fjords filled with icebergs present constant hazards from falling ice, and satellite observations cannot capture what happens below the surface where these interactions occur. “Our previous measurements have often merely scratched the surface, so a new approach was needed,” says Andreas Vieli.

The Greenland ice sheet covers an area around 40 times larger than Switzerland. If it were to melt completely, global sea levels would rise by about seven meters. The large volumes of meltwater flowing from shrinking glaciers can also disrupt major ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream, with significant consequences for Europe’s climate. The retreat of calving glaciers further affects the ecosystems within Greenland’s fjords. “Our entire Earth system depends, at least in part, on these ice sheets. It’s a fragile system that could collapse if temperatures rise too high,” warns Dominik Gräff.

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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251113071623.htm

Microbes that breathe rust could help save Earth’s oceans

Microbes that breathe iron and eat sulfide could be quietly saving Earth’s oceans.

Source:University of Vienna

Summary:Researchers from the University of Vienna discovered MISO bacteria that use iron minerals to oxidize toxic sulfide, creating energy and producing sulfate. This biological process reshapes how scientists understand global sulfur and iron cycles. By outpacing chemical reactions, these microbes could help stop the spread of oceanic dead zones and maintain ecological balance.Share:

    

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Microbes That Breathe Rust
MISO bacteria “breathe” iron minerals while detoxifying sulfide, driving a newly discovered biological process that connects global sulfur, iron, and carbon cycles. Credit: Shutterstock

An international research team led by microbiologists Marc Mussmann and Alexander Loy at the University of Vienna has uncovered a completely new type of microbial metabolism. The newly identified microorganisms, known as MISO bacteria, are able to “breathe” iron minerals by oxidizing toxic sulfide. The scientists discovered that the reaction between hydrogen sulfide — a poisonous gas — and solid iron minerals is not only a chemical process, but also a biological one. In this newly revealed pathway, adaptable microbes living in marine sediments and wetland soils remove toxic sulfide and use it as an energy source for growth. These bacteria may also play an important role in preventing the expansion of oxygen-depleted “dead zones” in aquatic ecosystems.

The findings were recently published in Nature.

How Microbes Power Earth’s Element Cycles

The movement of key elements such as carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and iron through the environment occurs through what are known as biogeochemical cycles. These transformations take place through reduction and oxidation (redox) reactions that move elements between air, water, soil, rocks, and living things. Because these cycles regulate greenhouse gases, they have a direct influence on Earth’s climate and temperature balance. Microorganisms drive nearly every step of these processes, using substances like sulfur and iron for respiration in much the same way humans rely on oxygen to metabolize food.

Sulfur and iron are particularly essential for microbial communities that live in oxygen-deprived habitats such as ocean floors, wetlands, and sediments. Sulfur can exist as a gas in the atmosphere, as sulfate dissolved in seawater, or locked within mineral deposits. Iron, on the other hand, shifts between different chemical forms depending on the availability of oxygen. When microbes process sulfur, they frequently change the form of iron at the same time, creating a tightly linked relationship between the two elements. This coupling affects nutrient cycling and influences the production or consumption of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane. Understanding these connections helps scientists predict how natural systems respond to environmental changes, including pollution and global warming.

Microbes That Use Iron to Eliminate Toxic Sulfide

“We show that this environmentally important redox reaction is not solely chemical,” says Alexander Loy, research group leader at CeMESS, the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science at the University of Vienna. “Microorganisms can also harness it for growth.”

The team’s discovery reveals a new form of microbial energy production called MISO. This process connects the reduction of iron(III) oxide with the oxidation of sulfide. Unlike a purely chemical reaction, MISO directly generates sulfate, skipping intermediate steps in the sulfur cycle. “MISO bacteria remove toxic sulfide and may help prevent the expansion of so-called ‘dead zones’ in aquatic environments, while fixing carbon dioxide for growth — similar to plants,” adds Marc Mussmann, senior scientist at CeMESS.

A Fast, Widespread Process That Shapes the Planet

In laboratory experiments, the researchers found that the MISO reaction carried out by microbes happens faster than the same reaction when it occurs chemically. This indicates that microorganisms are likely the main force behind this transformation in natural environments. “Diverse bacteria and archaea possess the genetic capacity for MISO,” explains lead author Song-Can Chen, “and they are found in a wide range of natural and human-made environments.”

According to the study, MISO activity in marine sediments could be responsible for as much as 7% of all global sulfide oxidation to sulfate. This process is fueled by the steady flow of reactive iron entering the oceans from rivers and melting glaciers. The research, supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) as part of the ‘Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health’ Cluster of Excellence, identifies a new biological mechanism linking the cycling of sulfur, iron, and carbon in oxygen-free environments.

“This discovery demonstrates the metabolic ingenuity of microorganisms and highlights their indispensable role in shaping Earth’s global element cycles,” concludes Alexander Loy.

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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251109013252.htm

Deep-sea mining starves life in the ocean’s twilight zone

New research reveals that deep-sea mining waste could disrupt one of Earth’s most vital but least understood ecosystems.

Source:University of Hawaii at Manoa

Summary:Scientists have discovered that deep-sea mining plumes can strip vital nutrition from the ocean’s twilight zone, replacing natural food with nutrient-poor sediment. The resulting “junk food” effect could starve life across entire marine ecosystems.Share:

    

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Deep-Sea Mining Starves Life in the Ocean
Nodules on the abyssal seafloor in the Clarion Clipperton Zone with a mud cloud from a scientific remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) touching down. Credit: UH/NOAA DeepCCZ Expedition

A new study from the University of Hawai’i (UH) at Mānoa, published on November 6 in Nature Communications, provides the first direct evidence that waste from deep-sea mining could disrupt vital ecosystems in the Pacific Ocean’s Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ). This area, one of the most biologically rich regions of the deep sea, is now the focus of growing industrial interest. Researchers found that sediment discharged during mining operations could harm marine life in the midwater “twilight zone,” a key habitat between 200 and 1,500 meters below the surface that supports vast populations of tiny drifting animals called zooplankton — the foundation of the ocean’s food web.

The team determined that 53% of zooplankton and 60% of micronekton, which feed on zooplankton, would be affected by mining waste discharge. Such disturbances could ripple through the food chain, ultimately impacting larger predators such as fish, seabirds, and marine mammals.

Murky Plumes and “Junk Food” Sediment

“When the waste released by mining activity enters the ocean, it creates water as murky as the mud-filled Mississippi River. The pervasive particles dilute the nutritious, natural food particles usually consumed by tiny, drifting Zooplankton,” said Michael Dowd, lead author of the study and a graduate student in Oceanography at the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST).

“Micronekton, small shrimp, fish and other animals that swim, feed on zooplankton. Some migrate between the depths and near surface waters and they are consumed by fish, seabirds and marine mammals. Zooplankton’s exposure to junk food sediment has the potential to disrupt the entire food web.”

Measuring the Nutritional Impact of Deep-Sea Mining

The research, titled “Deep-sea mining discharge can disrupt midwater food webs,” examined the effects of sediment plumes released during a 2022 mining test in the CCZ. This vast region is targeted for the extraction of polymetallic nodules that contain valuable minerals such as cobalt, nickel, and copper — key components for electric vehicles and renewable technologies.

By collecting and analyzing water samples from the depths where waste was discharged, the scientists found that mining particles contained far fewer amino acids, an important measure of nutritional quality, than the natural particles that typically nourish marine organisms.

“This isn’t just about mining the seafloor; it’s about reducing the food for entire communities in the deep sea,” said co-author Erica Goetze, a SOEST oceanography professor and marine zooplankton specialist. “We found that many animals at the depth of discharge depend on naturally occurring small detrital particles — the very food that mining plume particles replace.”

At present, around 1.5 million square kilometers of the CCZ are licensed for deep-sea mining exploration, reflecting the surge in global demand for minerals used in low-carbon technologies.

Disrupting an Ecosystem Built on Scarcity

During the mining process, nodules are collected from the seafloor along with surrounding sediments and seawater, then pumped to a surface vessel where nodules are separated from the waste material. The leftover sediment and fine nodule fragments are then released back into the ocean. Some companies have proposed releasing this waste within the twilight zone, but the environmental consequences of such practices have remained largely unknown — until now.

These findings underscore a major regulatory gap, as no international rules currently govern where or how mining waste can be discharged.

The twilight zone teems with life, including krill, squid, fish, octopus, and delicate jelly-like species. Many of these organisms travel upward toward the surface each night to feed and then descend again by day, transporting carbon to the deep ocean in the process. This vertical migration helps maintain the planet’s carbon balance and supports the health of marine ecosystems worldwide.

“Our research suggests that mining plumes don’t just create cloudy water — they change the quality of what’s available to eat, especially for animals that can’t easily swim away,” said co-author Jeffrey Drazen, a deep-sea ecologist and SOEST professor of oceanography. “It’s like dumping empty calories into a system that’s been running on a finely tuned diet for hundreds of years.”

Global Implications for Marine Food Webs

The study raises concerns that large-scale mining could trigger widespread and long-lasting changes in ocean ecosystems if it proceeds without strict safeguards. Even commercial fisheries could be affected; for instance, tuna populations migrate through the CCZ, meaning the impacts of mining could extend to seafood consumed around the world.

“Deep-sea mining has not yet begun at a commercial scale, so this is our chance to make informed decisions,” said co-author Brian Popp, SOEST professor of Earth sciences and an expert in marine stable isotope biogeochemistry. “If we don’t understand what’s at stake in the midwater, we risk harming ecosystems we’re only just beginning to study.”

A Call for Responsible Regulation

The authors hope their results will guide policy discussions currently underway at the International Seabed Authority and inform environmental reviews conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They stress the importance of developing international rules to protect marine ecosystems from surface waters to the deep sea.

“Before commercial deep-sea mining begins, it is essential to carefully consider the depth at which mining waste is discharged,” added Drazen. “The fate of these mining waste plumes and their impact on ocean ecosystems varies with depth, and improper discharge could cause harm to communities from the surface to the seafloor.”

Additional contributors to the study include UH Mānoa oceanography graduate students Victoria Assad and Alexus Cazares-Nuesser, and oceanography professor Angelicque White.

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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251108012850.htm