News & Comment

As per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) emerge as a global concern, it is crucial to foster collaborative endeavours aimed at discontinuing their persistent usage while devising effective methods for treating legacy PFAS in the environment.

Desalination is one of the most important responses to global water challenges. Decision-making on where, how and why to develop desalination plants must focus more on addressing social issues, such as universal access, justice and sustainability.

Large-scale afforestation is championed as a way to restore degraded habitats, conserve biodiversity and advance societal improvements. In the Middle East, a severely water-stressed region, we argue that urban greening will need to play a major part in efforts to deliver a more sustainable and water-sensitive strategy, while also enhancing urban liveability.

Almost 250 years have passed since the invention of the modern flush toilet. With nearly half of the world’s population still lacking access to safely managed sanitation, it is time to accelerate change.

The toilet could evolve from an unassuming household plumbing fixture to a critical engineering node for onsite wastewater treatment and reuse.

Droughts and heatwaves amplify water scarcity by decreasing water availability, worsening water quality and increasing sectoral water use. These three driving mechanisms interact strongly, but insights into this complex interplay, particularly between water quality and sectoral water use, are urgently needed to unravel the drivers of water scarcity and to identify robust solutions for sustainable water management.

The concept that planting trees will help mitigate climate change by storing CO₂ is too simplistic, ignoring the large effect that plants have on the water cycle. Careful restoration of native plant ecosystems can rebalance that cycle, further mitigating climate change while also reducing flood and drought extremes.

Access to water and food and their effects on environmental and human health should be assessed and addressed together.

Recognizing the importance of experiences with water insecurity in the context of food and nutrition is a powerful way to act on the Food and Agriculture Organization’s call to “take water action for food and be the change” on World Food Day.

To make an impact, scientists should engage with stakeholders and policy-makers to understand the needs and constraints of decision-making. Working at the intersection of science and policy, where knowledge and action converge, paves the way for a sustainable and thriving future.

A promise is a promise. The world must do much better in the second half of the 2030 Agenda timeline to deliver on the 17 SDGs, not least to address the inequalities impacting women and girls by inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene.

Improving sanitation technology and service is imperative for everyone, in every country.

Peter Gleick’s book on water tells the story of how society has interacted with water resources and suggests a path for the future that will benefit both humans and the environment.

A fourteen-year-old report mobilized a number of water stakeholders but, taken out of context, its results also led to a misunderstanding of the water crisis and its solutions.

Atmospheric water harvesting could be an alternative to conventional water sources, particularly in regions affected by drought and water stress.

The alarmingly slow progress on water-related goals and targets jeopardizes the entire sustainable development agenda. In March 2023, the United Nations (UN) convened the first UN Water Conference in nearly 50 years to create momentum and accelerate progress. The outcome of the conference will feed into the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), which will be held in New York on July 10–19, 2023. Nature Water asked five experts about the challenges to meet the goals and where we need to go from here.

Can flood hazards be predicted precisely and accurately at the scale of individual buildings? A consideration of the uncertainties in most inundation modelling suggests not.

Climate change is not just about getting drier or getting wetter when it comes to water availability. We should work towards a more comprehensive process understanding of the water cycle that accounts for human actions.