News
Major Climate Challenge Solved
June 18, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. — June 18, 2018 — Winrock scientists have solved the vexing problem of how to remotely measure how much timber is removed from forests and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions. With breakthrough work just published in Environmental Research Letters, Dr. Tim Pearson and his team at Winrock International have developed a new method […]
“We Are the Water Users”
May 30, 2018
The devastation of torrential rains and flooding in northern Kenya grabbed the headlines last week. Cape Town, South Africa’s water crisis woke many people up to the reality of a permanent water shortage, as well as the city’s lack of preparedness and planning. Other African cities (Lagos, Accra, Addis Ababa) have faced recurrent water crises. […]
SWP to Conclude Wilson Center Series with “The Challenge of Erratic Water”
May 16, 2018
Water is indispensable, but also highly variable. Communities around the world need a reliable and predictable supply of fresh water, but outdated infrastructure, poor management, and political battles can make this difficult—and this challenge is exacerbated by fluctuating weather patterns and frequent natural disasters. In the fourth and final event of the “Sustainable Water, Resilient […]
When Improving America’s Infrastructure, Don’t Forget Forests
May 14, 2018
America’s water infrastructure is in a state of disrepair, as evidenced by disasters such as the public health crisis in Flint, Michigan and dangerous flooding at the Oroville Dam. While water infrastructure like treatment facilities, flood control systems, pipes, wastewater treatment plants and reservoirs are essential for public health and safety, our current, aging systems are inadequate for […]
No Water, No Power
April 23, 2018
In 2017, drought in Kenya and neighboring countries became so severe earlier that the government of Kenya declared a national disaster. Already, the effects have been devastating: Food production dropped, leaving more than 2.6 million people without access to sufficient food. Some villagers have lost 40 percent of their livestock. Amidst the human tragedy of this drought, an unexpected actor […]
Solutions for Pollution
April 23, 2018
Addressing the crowd at Washington D.C.’s Wilson Center, Sasha Koo-Oshima immediately establishes the stakes of the matter at hand: the problem of water pollution. When water quality is degraded, she says, it’s “a potential destabilizing factor in global economy and security.” Along with three other panelists, Koo-Oshima, senior adviser of the Environmental Protection Agency’s International […]
Avoiding a Water Crisis: What’s Next for Cape Town – and Beyond?
April 17, 2018
Intense drought in South Africa’s Western Cape Province has led the world-renowned city of Cape Town to the brink of “Day Zero”— the date at which residents would be forced to collect strictly rationed water supplies from shared distribution taps. Water conservation efforts have so far prevented a massive water shutdown, but the city’s rapid population growth and reliance on […]
Power Switch
April 13, 2018
By Chris Warren Less than half of Nigeria’s 186 million people have access to electricity. But in the rural village of Gbamu Gbamu, newly installed utility poles and wires act as markers of a brighter future, powered by a new solar minigrid. The grid, an effort of local developers Rubitec Solar and Winrock’s USAID-funded Renewable […]
New Date: SWP to Continue Wilson Center Series with “Solutions for Dirty Water”
April 1, 2018
Water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink. Around the world, pollution and disease contaminate essential supplies of drinking water. In this third part of its “Sustainable Water, Resilient Communities” series, co-hosted with Winrock International and the Wilson Center, the USAID-funded Sustainable Water Partnership (SWP) will present “Solutions for Dirty Water.” Moderated by SWP Director Eric Viala, experts […]
Protecting Resources, Improving Lives
March 27, 2018
By Lauren Keller, senior program associate and M&E specialist, Forestry and Natural Resource Management Nga Dang, Payment for Environmental Services development specialist. What do a pair of pigs have in common with a hydropower plant? Just ask Lang Thi Hoanh of Chieng Village in the Bat Mot commune of Vietnam. She and other women have […]