Dear Deeply Readers,
Welcome to the archives of Water Deeply. While we paused regular publication of the site on November 1, 2018, we are happy to serve as an ongoing public resource on water resilience. We hope you’ll enjoy the reporting and analysis that was produced by our dedicated community of editors and contributors.
We continue to produce events and special projects while we explore where the on-site journalism goes next. If you’d like to reach us with feedback or ideas for collaboration you can do so at [email protected].
As part of our ‘Experts to Watch’ series, we meet six campaigners who are advancing research, policy and action on the ground to bring an end to female genital cutting.
Should certain coral reefs be strategically saved? Australian scientist Karlo Hock talks about his recent research that could help conservation managers focus their efforts on reefs that offer hope to the larger ecosystem.
Many food and beverage companies operating in the West are preparing for water risks. In our latest Water Deeply talk, Tara Lohan speaks with three experts about water security challenges and benefits.
Hundreds of people came out to map the king tides in coastal Virginia in November. Virginia Institute of Marine Science researcher Derek Loftis explains how that is helping the region better prepare as flooding worsens.
From infrastructure and urban planning to funding and democratic dialogue, in this next installment of our “Experts to Watch” series we highlight 10 experts who focus on the different aspects of reconstruction in Syria.
Countries met at the U.N. climate talks in Bonn this month to discuss implementing the Paris climate accord to limit global temperature rise. Negotiator Hugh J. Sealy says only minimal progress has been made to help vulnerable small island nations adapt to global warming.
Fish 2.0 brings together startups and investors that want to make seafood more sustainable. Founder Monica Jain says emerging technologies and market forces will push the industry to change – sooner rather than later.
The massive storm devastated the Sunshine State’s coral reefs, but a team of researchers and divers is working to help them recover. NOAA’s Lauri MacLaughlin explains what she saw on recent dives and why she is hopeful for the reefs’ future.
Women & Girls speaks with Sharmila Rudrappa, director of the Center for Asian American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, and reporter Flora Bagenal, about the debate on whether commercial surrogacy should be legal for foreign couples in India.
A federal suit filed against the state of Colorado seeks to establish ‘personhood’ status for the mighty watercourse. Mari Margil, an attorney working on the case, explains what that would mean.
Daniel Garrote Sanchez Senior Researcher, Bayanat Box and the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies
Leila Kabalan Policy Consultant, Bayanat Box
While more data is available than ever before, there is little evidence-driven debate on refugees in countries like Lebanon that host the majority of Syrians. Arab digital platform Bayanat Box explains how it works to improve public comprehension of refugee data.
Dale Hall CEO, Ducks Unlimited
Rivers need to be reconnected with floodplains to provide essential nutrients for fish and needed habitat for birds, which will require targeted flows, says Dale Hall of Ducks Unlimited.
Daniel Garrote Sanchez Senior Researcher, Bayanat Box and the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies
Leila Kabalan Policy Consultant, Bayanat Box
While more data is available than ever before, there is little evidence-driven debate on refugees in countries like Lebanon that host the majority of Syrians. Arab digital platform Bayanat Box explains how it works to improve public comprehension of refugee data.
Sharmila Rudrappa Teaches and Researches on Issues Related to Gender, Race and Labor
India’s restrictions on commercial surrogacy have pleased some ethicists and advocates who argue that foreign couples should not be allowed to use surrogates in poorer countries. But Sharmila Rudrappa argues that bans have just made the practice more dangerous.
Michael Vardon Expert in Environmental Accounting
Australian National University’s Michael Vardon argues that the country’s government should hike the marine park’s minimal entry fee to fund conservation of a priceless ecosystem.
Aaron Y. Zelin Richard Borow Fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy
ISIS has not released any propaganda pictures or videos demonstrating its ability to govern in nearly a month, which might suggest the group is retreating from its territorial aspirations. However, Aaron Y. Zelin, fellow of the Washington Institute, argues otherwise.
Many populations of endangered sea turtles are recovering, but some continue to drop. Sea turtle biologist Margaret Lamont talks about why differences in biology and ecology hinder some turtles from bouncing back and why the animals are so difficult to study.
As part of our ongoing Expert Views feature, we asked four women at the forefront of the economic empowerment movement what financial inclusion for women really looks like. The verdict was unanimous.
David James Cantor Director, RLI at the School of Advanced Study, University of London
How Latin America responds to people fleeing criminal violence will provide insights into an emerging aspect of global forced migration. David Cantor of the Refugee Law Initiative outlines some lessons learned and questions raised by displacement in Latin America.
Jonathan Rosenfield Lead Scientist, Bay Institute
The Brown administration is denying scientific evidence when it comes to the impact that the proposed delta tunnels project would have on endangered species and fisheries, says scientist Jonathan Rosenfield of The Bay Institute.
Malin Björk Member of the European Parliament for the Swedish Left Party
E.U. resettlement could follow the U.N.’s original vision or become part of the European Commission’s efforts to deter migration. Swedish MEP, Malin Bjork, argues for resettlement designed on humanitarian principles, not ‘Fortress Europe’ fears.
As Syrian and Jordanian officials ponder reopening the Nassib border crossing, Syria Deeply talks with Sam Heller of the Century Foundation about the sticking points and possible negotiations.
Syria Deeply spoke with Pawel Krzysiek of the International Committee of the Red Cross about the recent escalation in violence in the country – the worst since the battle for Aleppo in 2016.
Danilo Mandić Harvard College Fellow
Policymakers have fundamentally misunderstood the migrant-smuggler dynamic along the Balkan Route, argues Harvard College Fellow Danilo Mandić in the Forced Migration Forum.
The Damascus-based Syrian Law Journal discusses a proposal under review to amend the Syrian Nationality Law and grant Syrian women the right to pass their nationality on to their foreign husbands.
Kirsten James Oversees the California Policy Program, Ceres
There is a growing awareness about water risk for businesses in the food and beverage industry. A new report from Ceres shows which companies are leading and lagging, writes Ceres’ Kirsten James.
The University of Alaska has produced a procedure for what scientists on research vessels should do to avoid disrupting Indigenous communities’ traditional hunts. The university’s Brenda Konar hopes that other vessels will adopt codes of conduct.
Campaigner Leyla Hussein spoke with News Deeply about her work to end FGM in the U.K., her concerns for the U.S., and how working with families can change the root cause of oppression against girls.
Suzanna Nelson-Pollard
People displaced by criminal violence are often invisible in statistics and lack protection. Now Central Americans have signed up to a U.N. effort to reform refugee response, there’s an opportunity to do better, writes Suzanna Nelson-Pollard.
A century of fire suppression followed by the worst drought in recorded history has put California’s forest landscapes and water supply at risk. A study led by Van Butsic of U.C. Berkeley proposes a new way to manage forests.
Nadim Houry Director of Terrorism and Counterterrorism Program, Human Rights Watch
The U.S.-led coalition must provide both symbolic acknowledgment of civilians killed by their airstrikes in Syria and material assistance to the victims’ surviving loved ones, according to Nadim Houry, the director of Human Rights Watch’s program on terrorism and counterterrorism.
Michael Dempsey National Intelligence Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
Washington is paying little attention to the global refugee crisis, but ignores this critical trend at its own peril, says the former acting director of national intelligence Michael Dempsey, arguing that addressing forced displacement helps the U.S. stay safe.
Turkey’s discussions with al-Qaida-linked militants ahead of its deployment in Syria’s Idlib province indicate that a wide-scale offensive against the militant group may not be Ankara’s primary objective, according to Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute.
The website Maven’s Notebook has been a major source of California water information for years. Now Maven’s creator, Chris Austin, wants to take it one step further with a new digital library.
Lucy Hovil Senior Researcher, International Refugee Rights Initiative
Somalis in exile are often tainted by association with al-Shabaab – the very group from which they fled. Lucy Hovil of the International Refugee Rights Initiative explains research into securitized responses to refugees and the impact on Somalis in Kenya, Uganda and the U.S.
Jessica Meeuwig Marine Scientist
More than 1,200 scientists from 45 countries have signed a petition calling on the Australian government to reverse a proposal to allow commercial fishing in marine protected areas, calling the action scientifically flawed.
As Pakistan, Iran and Europe continue to send Afghans back to Afghanistan despite intensifying conflict in several provinces, Refugees Deeply talked to experts in Kabul about what returning refugees face amid soaring displacement inside the country.
Women & Girls speaks with Katharine Bryant, research manager at the Walk Free Foundation, and modern slavery expert James Cockayne of United Nations University, about new figures that demonstrate the vast majority of people in slavery are women and girls.
The European Union and United Nations have launched a spotlight initiative to eliminate violence against women, toward which the E.U. has pledged 500 million euros. Women & Girls asked three gender-based violence experts what they would like to see happen with this money.
Researchers know that some species of fish will be impacted by climate change more than others, but which ones? Marine scientist William Cheung says a mathematical tool known as fuzzy logic may help solve that puzzle.
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