Water resources articles from across Nature Portfolio

Water resources are sources of – usually fresh – water that are useful, or potentially useful, to society; for instance for agricultural, industrial or recreational use. Examples include groundwater, rivers, lakes and reservoirs.

Latest Research and Reviews

Research
25 May 2023 | Open Access

Sustainable development substantially reduces the risk of future drought impacts

Future drought impacts are expected to be highest in the Mediterranean, the Amazon, southern Africa and Central America, but exposure and socioeconomic risk could be reduced with sustainable development, suggests an analysis that integrates information on precipitation, runoff and soil moisture.
- Hossein Tabari
- & Patrick Willems
Communications Earth & Environment 4, 180
Research
23 May 2023 | Open Access

Food demand displaced by global refugee migration influences water use in already water stressed countries

While minimal in most host countries, the water needed to produce the food consumed by refugees can have a large effect on water stress in vulnerable countries. Small changes to food trade and refugee resettlement policies can alleviate this unequal burden.
- Leonardo Bertassello
- , Marc F. Müller
- & Michèle C. Müller-Itten
Nature Communications 14, 2706
Research
23 May 2023 | Open Access

Divergent effectiveness of irrigation in enhancing food security in droughts under future climates with various emission scenarios
- Qiang Zhang
- , Huiqian Yu
- & Zexi Shen
npj Climate and Atmospheric Science 6, 40
Reviews | 11 May 2023

Rewards, risks and responsible deployment of artificial intelligence in water systems

In this Perspective, the authors survey potential water-system-wide benefits of AI applications from catchments to end-users and then highlight potential systemic barriers, direct risks and exposures to cascading failures, which may prove catastrophic for communities. In response, they make three recommendations for safe and responsible deployment of AI across potable water supply and sewage disposal systems.
- Catherine E. Richards
- , Asaf Tzachor
- & Richard Fenner
Nature Water 1, 422-432
Research | 08 May 2023

Sustainable polymer coating for stainproof fabrics

Laundry detergents usually contain chemicals that are problematic to the environment. The authors introduce a polymer nanofilm that renders fabrics and many more materials stain resistant and detergent free.
- Chengyu Fu
- , Zhengge Wang
- & Peng Yang
Nature Sustainability, 1-11
Research
06 May 2023 | Open Access

Inter-basin surface water transfers database for public water supplies in conterminous United States, 1986–2015
- G. Rebecca Dobbs
- , Ning Liu
- & Paul V. Bolstad
Scientific Data 10, 255

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News and Comment

News | 26 May 2023

Saving the iconic Colorado River — scientists say latest plan is not enough

US states pledge to cut their use of water from the river, which has been drained by climate change and drought.
- Alexandra Witze
Nature
Editorial | 23 May 2023

The multiple impacts of war

As armed conflicts claim dreadful death tolls and destroy nature, they jeopardize humanity’s future. If safe and peaceful societies are the priorities of governments, more needs to happen to achieve them.

Nature Sustainability 6, 479-480
Correspondence | 09 May 2023

Carbon’s social cost can’t be retrofitted to water
- Sarah Wheeler
- , Claudia Ringler
- & Dustin Garrick
Nature 617, 252
Correspondence | 09 May 2023

Reform economics for managing global water supply
- Edward B. Barbier
Nature 617, 252
News & Views | 10 April 2023

Cities dried up by few

Urban water crises are an increasingly pressing challenge. A study now shows how unsustainable behaviour fostered by social inequalities undermines water access and, if unaddressed, may lead to increased vulnerability in the long term.
- Mariana Madruga de Brito
Nature Sustainability, 1-2
News & Views | 06 April 2023

Larger lessons from the Jackson Mississippi and Flint water crises

Examination of boil water alerts (BWAs) in Jackson, Mississippi points to the breadth and diversity of impact from water contamination. We describe these impacts and the larger context and limitations of BWAs as ways of both informing the public and mitigating risk.
- Matthew Seeger
- & Shawn P. McElmurry
Nature Water 1, 317-318

All News & Comment

Water resources articles from across Nature Portfolio

Latest Research and Reviews

Sustainable development substantially reduces the risk of future drought impacts

Food demand displaced by global refugee migration influences water use in already water stressed countries

Divergent effectiveness of irrigation in enhancing food security in droughts under future climates with various emission scenarios

Rewards, risks and responsible deployment of artificial intelligence in water systems

Sustainable polymer coating for stainproof fabrics

Inter-basin surface water transfers database for public water supplies in conterminous United States, 1986–2015

News and Comment

Saving the iconic Colorado River — scientists say latest plan is not enough

The multiple impacts of war

Carbon’s social cost can’t be retrofitted to water

Reform economics for managing global water supply

Cities dried up by few

Larger lessons from the Jackson Mississippi and Flint water crises

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