The Columbia Water Center is leading intellectual inquiry into the assessment, understanding, and resolution of the most pressing global water issues, combining multidisciplinary academic research with solutions-based fieldwork in collaboration with other Columbia Climate School centers and programs as well as strategic partners.
What We Do
The Columbia Global Floods Initiative aims to save lives and protect livelihoods by helping policymakers, disaster relief agencies, infrastructure designers, financial institutions, and others better prepare for, manage, and respond to extreme floods.
Featured Stories
America's Water Education: Reflections of a NYC girl
For the fourth entry of our blog series, Mrs Alesha Smith, middle school instructor of literacy at the Eagle Academies for the Young Men of Harlem, brings forth her enduring questions on water resources. Stemming from a genuine curiosity that she masterfully conveyed to her students, they provide nothing short of a comprehensive research agenda for water management.
America's Water Education: Interview of Jermel Collins-Day by Nancy Degnan
For the third entry of our blog series, co-PI Nancy Degnan interviews Jermel Collins-Day, instructor of physical health at the Eagle Academies for the Young Men of Harlem and PhD candidate at Teachers College. Mr Collins-Day shares his perspective on culturally relevant and context-aware environmental education, highlighting shortcomings in teachers when out of touch with the difficulties students face.
America's Water Education: second entry
The second entry of our blog series has been written by Christopher Slaughter, special education teacher and published author. This work has been produced within the context of our NSF grant on the innovative use of water data platforms at the middle and high school level, bringing together Columbia Water
State of the Planet
Climate Week 2024 at Columbia Climate School
As the official university partner of this year’s Climate Week NYC, the Climate School has an exciting lineup of events planned for September 22-29.
Strategies for Safe Drinking Water: Ensuring Lead-Free Taps for All
On World Water Day, Columbia researchers explore the best options for replacing America’s aging pipes.
Flooding in California: What Went Wrong, and What Comes Next
Climate School experts help to explain this devastating weather and what it means in the broader conversation of climate change and disaster response.
Featured Projects
CWC scientists are creating risk management options by analyzing local and global impacts of climate extremes and environmental disasters on supply chains, developing flood insurance schemes, and partnering with diverse stakeholders to improve the water-related metrics disclosed in ESG reports.
