A number of initiatives have sprung up to attempt connecting the potential of new technology to the understanding of conflict trends and dynamics. These follow initiatives in development (i.e., poverty mapping, health indicators, climate impacts) and humanitarian aid (i.e., disaster response),...

For at least the last two decades, the international community in general and the United Nations specifically have attempted to develop robust, accurate and effective conflict early warning system for conflict prevention. One potential and promising component of integrated early warning systems...

This note is a partial response to the above mentioned 2010 Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) evaluation. It covers the specific issues to be addressed in the Water supply and Sanitation (WSS) sector and in the irrigation sector in two distinct parts, because if WSS and irrigation have some...

By 2050, 25 million to 1 billion people are expected to be migrating due to environmental factors. Though examining linkages between environmental conditions and migration have been on the international agenda at least since 1992, only in recent years have they become better understood. It is...

The Hai Basin in China exemplifies problems that are observed in many arid environments: excessive water consumption, depletion of aquifers, and damage to eco-systems. Progressively since the 1970s water resources in Hai Basin have been over-exploited, primarily for irrigation, while the water...

Virtual water and water footprints have gained recognition as indicators to guide action on issues related to water scarcity. I argue that water footprints are fundamentally different from carbon footprints, as local reductions in carbon emissions have global benefits, while global attempts to...

As the demand for water resources continues to grow, the current “demand management” approach often fails to deliver the expected results in terms of reduced water consumption, release of water to other uses, or improved environmental conditions. Recognizing that evapotranspiration (ET)...