Our Environment

Water is one of our most precious and valuable resources. Without a gallon a day, you will perish. Plants and animals need a reliable supply, and it is critical to growing crops and etching chips.

Despite its importance, over 1 billion people around the globe still lack access to clean water and thousands perish daily for lack of it. In the natural world, many of our most important aquifers are being over-pumped and half of the world's wetlands have been lost to development. There is a political dimension to water as well: Almost every major river system on the planet is shared by two or more nations, making water a source of international conflict and a matter of national security.

As water cuts across disciplines and issues, so does our Water and Sustainability program. Since our founding in 1987, we've worked to bring attention to key issues that have often been overlooked: the impact of climate change on water, the role of water in conflict, water as a basic human right, threats to the world's water, efficiency and conservation and, most recently, the globalization and privatization of water.