Our mission is to creatively tackle the issue of global water scarcity through innovations in technology, public policy and private action. Combining the rigor of scientific research with the impact of effective policy, we aim to design reliable, sustainable models of water management and development that can be implemented on local, regional and global levels. The Columbia Water Center, in collaboration with other Earth Institute units and external partners, is leading intellectual inquiry into the assessment, understanding and resolution of the potentially global crisis of freshwater scarcity.
The Water Center’s work is founded on the principle that meaningful improvements in water quality and access depend on resolving increasing water shortages. The greatest improvements in water sustainability stem from concentrating on the sector with the greatest consumption – the agricultural sector. Much of our research, therefore, focuses on improving efficiency of agricultural water use, especially in the developing world where water problems are most prevalent.
The Water Center aims to provide rigorous, research-based knowledge as the foundation on which to make informed policy decisions about the management of water systems. The Water Center strives to change one-dimensional approach to water and instead study watersheds holistically.
The Water Center aims to provide rigorous, research-based knowledge as the foundation on which to make informed policy decisions about the management of water systems. The Water Center strives to change one-dimensional approach to water and instead study watersheds holistically.
Research Areas:
