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How Science, AI, and Smart Engineering Can Create Safer Cities By Dhanada K. Mishra* Porto Alegre, capital of Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state, was flooded in 2024 when massive rainstorms overfilled the adjacent Guaíba Lake. Wikipedia In April and May 2024, relentless rain turned Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul into a vast inland floodplain, pushing families onto rooftops and into crowded shelters as roads, bridges, and power lines failed around them. The floods killed 181 people, displaced 775,000, and affected 2.4 million residents. It cut electricity and water to hundreds of thousands of households, exposing how badly 20th‑century infrastructure can perform under 21st‑century extremes. Massive storms have occurred in recent years, from Storm Daniel’s dam‑burst floods in Derna, Libya (a 2023 cataclysm that killed as many as 24,000 people), to Cyclone Mocha’s landfall, also in 2023, on already vulnerable communities in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Deadly flash floods have drenched communities in the United States, throughout Africa, and Central Europe. These extraordinary storms can be seen as global stress tests for drainage systems, dams, and early‑warning chains. The core challenge is no longer to ask whether the next storm will come but whether our science, technology, and engineering can adapt as fast as the risks are shifting. Pushing Around the Planet's Hot Spots El Niño and La Niña are well-known phases of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a natural climate pattern centered in the tropical Pacific Ocean. They do not conjure storms from nowhere; they move the hot spots of heavy rain, drought, and cyclone activity around the globe. In some years, regions that are normally dry suddenly face months of above‑normal rainfall while others swing into drought; the pattern often reverses as the cycle evolves. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) now highlights how recent ENSO phases have contributed simultaneously to severe drought in the Amazon, drier‑than‑normal conditions in parts of Mexico and southern Africa, and wetter‑than‑normal conditions in Central Europe, East Africa, and parts of Asia. WMO’s leadership has warned that climate change is driving more intense floods and storms worldwide, with “no end” in sight to water‑related extremes. Crucially, these swings now play out on a warmer baseline. WMO’s leadership has warned that climate change is driving more intense floods and storms worldwide, with “no end” in sight to water‑related extremes as global heating continues. Scientists with the World Weather Attribution organization said the 2024 Rio Grande do Sul event shows that human‑driven climate change and El Niño together made the extreme rainfall more than twice as likely and increased its intensity compared with a cooler climate, according to Reuters. According to the World Weather Attribution group, the news article added, the heavy rainfall “was an ‘extremely rare’ event expected to occur only once every 100 to 250 years” but that this event “would have been even rarer without the effects of burning fossil fuel.” A panoramic view of the Mediterranean city of Derna, Libya, in 2020. In September 2023, Storm Daniel caused two upstream dams to burst, sending a wall of water down the narrow wadi around which the city is built, destroying a large portion of the metropolis. Maherlink/Wikipedia Dhrubajyoti Samanta, a climate scientist and associate editor of Geophysical Research Letters, stresses that the real problem is the speed of these shifts. “It is not just about whether we are on El Niño or La Niña anymore,” he told The Earth & I. “It is about how fast conditions swing between extremes and how those swings amplify flood and storm risks.” That volatility means yesterday’s “safe” region can become tomorrow’s flood zone, while climate change turns up the intensity of whatever storms do form. When Infrastructure Fails the Storm Test Rio Grande do Sul is not alone in revealing how fragile infrastructure can magnify disaster. In September 2023, Storm Daniel delivered unprecedented rainfall over the Wadi Derna watershed in Libya. The failure of two aging dams released a destructive surge that killed thousands and obliterated parts of the city. A detailed reconstruction found that even intact dams would have struggled under such extreme runoff, but decades of neglect and inadequate risk management dramatically worsened the outcome. In the Bay of Bengal, powerful Cyclone Mocha struck Myanmar and Bangladesh in May 2023 as a Category 4 storm, threatening some of the world’s most vulnerable coastal communities. However, thanks to accurate forecasts and community‑based early‑warning efforts, Bangladesh was able to evacuate large numbers of people in advance, significantly reducing casualties compared with previous cyclones in the region. Meanwhile, 2024 and 2025 saw record and near‑record floods across Central Europe, East Africa, and parts of China, again overwhelming drainage systems and flood defenses designed for gentler rainfall patterns. These disparate events share a common thread: extreme rainfall or storm surge interacting with infrastructure that is outdated, poorly maintained, or built in the wrong places. In Rio Grande do Sul, floodwaters overwhelmed drainage, inundated low‑lying neighborhoods and cut off health care and essential services, with informal settlements and poorer communities facing the longest and hardest recovery. “Storm fear,” in this sense, is fear that the systems meant to protect people will not hold. Forecasts and AI The good news is that climate information is increasingly being used before storms hit. Samanta notes that across Asia and the Pacific, ENSO forecasts are helping governments manage reservoirs and warn the public months ahead, and he points to India and Bangladesh as examples where better cyclone forecasting has saved lives. “Fear often comes from uncertainty,” Samanta says, and adds, “Better seasonal forecasts and ocean observations help replace that uncertainty with time to act.” “Fear often comes from uncertainty,” Samanta says, and adds, “Better seasonal forecasts and ocean observations help replace that uncertainty with time to act.” New AI tools are strengthening that bridge between science and action. In March 2026, Google announced AI‑driven flash‑flood forecasts for urban areas on its Flood Hub platform, claiming the system can predict local flash‑flood risk up to 24 hours in advance. The model uses Gemini to process millions of historical flood reports and create geotagged datasets, then blends them with weather and hydrological forecasts to pinpoint where water is most likely to rise. For city managers facing ENSO‑amplified downpours, this offers a tactical advantage: They can preposition mobile pumps to address water surges, close flood-prone underpasses, protect electrical substations, or adjust traffic in the specific districts where risk is highest. At the same time, the tool still depends on internet connectivity and news reporting, so it complements rather than replaces national hydrological services and community‑based early‑warning systems, particularly in data‑sparse regions. Planning for Variability, Not Averages If storms are now stress tests, how should cities and coasts be redesigned? Samanta offers a simple rule of thumb for planners: “Plan for variability, not averages, because ENSO keeps shifting the risks. “Its swings are becoming stronger with climate change,” he continues, “and we’re now seeing that major El Niño events can carry real human and economic costs, so infrastructure needs to be flexible and ready for more extreme climate events.” In practice, this means sizing drains and culverts for deluges—not just “average” rainfall—and designing bridges, embankments, and power substations for “perfect storm” scenarios of above-average rainfall, river flow, and water surge. It also includes treating seasonal forecasts as triggers for preemptive maintenance rather than just background information. A rain garden in Wheaton, Maryland, during winter. Rain gardens reduce storm runoff, helping to mitigate flooding. Moreau1/Wikipedia David Ng Chew Chiat, cofounder and executive director of One Smart Engineering, translates that principle into concrete design strategies from Singapore’s experience. “One of the key measures carried out extensively to mitigate the risks of flash flooding is incorporating Active‑Beautiful‑Clean [ABC] water features such as pockets of rain gardens along the sides of the canal and river … as a temporary detention pond to prevent overloading of the water body during storm,” Ng told The Earth & I. This approach is flexible enough for many Southeast Asian cities, he added. Another rain garden, this one at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York, US. D.A. Sonnenfeld/Wikipedia Using the 2024 Brazilian disaster as an example, Ng said that ABC‑style rain gardens and detention spaces would have slowed and absorbed rainfall, buying time and reducing peak flows before they hit critical bottlenecks. This nature‑based design also cools urban spaces and improves public amenities—an important extra benefit as heat waves intensify, he said. Rethinking Coasts and Equity Ng further argues that conventional coastal protection—building massive seawalls and then reclaiming land behind them—can be material‑intensive and carbon‑heavy, paradoxically reinforcing the very warming that drives sea‑level rise. Instead, he advocates the following, some of which are being implemented in the island of Singapore: Construction of new buildings with “adaptive foundation” systems. These are specialized foundations designed to adjust to new environmental conditions, such as uneven soil settlement or shifting groundwater, which can occur during flooding. Building multi‑use structures on coasts that can intercept rising seas, plus host food and energy production activities. Examples of these structures, which are beginning to be constructed worldwide, include porous sea walls, lakes and ponds for temporary storage of floodwater, agricultural portions either underwater or on floating platforms designed for shellfish farming or even dairy production, and tidal or wave-powered energy plants. Using the kinds of concrete that can actively trap and store carbon dioxide within its structure, either during production or throughout its lifespan. It’s helpful if city planners use newly developed permeable concrete and asphalt in strategic areas. These paving materials have cracks or pores built in to allow rainwater to filter through and be absorbed by the soil beneath. The core idea is not that every city should copy Singapore’s specific model, but that future defenses must be flexible, multifunctional, and climate‑aligned. Both experts highlight a persistent equity gap. Samanta points out that while weather forecasts are improving, “they don’t always reach communities in a form they can use or trust,” especially in smaller cities and poorer neighborhoods in the Global South. Bridging this gap requires investing in better models and AI, and also in communication, local capacity, and partnerships, he says. In this way, climate and ENSO information can drive decisions about where people live, how clinics and schools are built, and which streets or shelters are prioritized for upgrades. Samanta and Ng both say that simple, low‑cost measures—ABC‑style rain gardens, elevated community centers, reinforced clinics, basic flood‑proofing for schools—may save more lives than elite megaprojects if they are deployed where vulnerability is highest. Prime targets for these innovations include Brazilian favelas to riverine settlements in East Africa and outer neighborhoods in South and Southeast Asian cities. Returning to Brazil Families in Rio Grande do Sul will long carry the memory of 2024’s flood and how the river rose into their streets, the days spent in crowded shelters, and the slow return to mud‑caked homes. Yet their experience, and that of communities in Derna, in coastal Bangladesh and Myanmar, and in flood‑hit parts of Europe, Africa, and China, offers a blueprint for change. This blueprint includes treating ENSO forecasts as early triggers, and installing AI‑driven flood tools and robust local warning systems to give people time to act. City planners can proactively embed rain gardens, detention spaces, and adaptive foundations that can resist flooding in their districts. If the most vulnerable communities are upgraded first, then the next time extreme rain falls on Rio Grande do Sul or any other storm hot spot, water may still spread, but it will be more likely to pool in well-designed parks and basins than in people’s living rooms, the experts say. “The climate risk isn’t going away; rather, it’s evolving and increasing,” Samanta says. “The real issue is, where we choose to invest and prioritize today will determine how much we lose tomorrow.” If that question guides our choices, storm fear can become a driver of renewal, turning each new ENSO cycle into an opportunity to save more lives and protect more homes than the last. *Dhanada K Mishra is a PhD in civil engineering from the University of Michigan and is currently working as the managing director of a Hong Kong-based AI startup building technology for the sustainability of built infrastructure (www.raspect.ai). He writes on environmental issues, sustainability, the climate crisis, and built infrastructure.

New Research Shows Felt ‘Connections’ Inspire Pro-Environmental Action By Yasmin Prabhudas* Children with their pet rabbits. istock Whether it is weeding one’s garden, hiking a forest trail, taking recycling to a center, or picking up trash in a waterway, when people interact with nature, they are cultivating their nurturing hearts toward the planet. For decades, researchers have reported that a person’s conscious or “felt” connection with nature is key to rallying efforts to address environmental challenges. However, such genuine connections are not guaranteed. As one 2023 study put it, there is “a large degree of societal disconnectedness from the natural world.” Still, social science is showing that when people believe they are part of nature, they will strive to protect it. A 2019 meta-analysis of 37 studies, involving 13,237 participants, found a significant association between a connection to nature and pro-environmental behavior. What more can be done to encourage the idea that humanity and nature are interconnected—and nature sometimes needs human nurture? Felt connection. istock It’s a Relationship There is a common, research-supported idea that when people take care of nature, both benefit as a result. Marianna Drosinou. Image courtesy of Marianna Drosinou “Connectedness to nature more broadly … includes having positive feelings towards nature, such as love and care and acting to protect it,” Marianna Drosinou, a PhD researcher at the Faculty of Medicine, Discipline of Psychology at the University of Helsinki, Finland, tells The Earth & I. She measures connectedness to nature by examining "the degree to which individuals include nature into their sense of self, that is, the degree to which they feel a sense of oneness with the natural world." Drosinou’s work includes a 2025 study, “Everything is connected: Reminders of environmental and social connectedness strengthen environmental attitudes” and a 2023 study, “Modeling levels of eco-conscious awareness.” Armando Prata, a researcher at the Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention at the University of Coimbra in Portugal, finds that immersion in nature influences mental well-being and pro-environmental behavior. He outlined such findings in his 2025 study, “Compassion Towards Nature and Well-Being: The Role of Climate Change Anxiety and Pro-Environmental Behaviors.” Speaking to The Earth and I, Prata says: “When we are connected with nature, we see nature as a part of our identity.” “When we are connected with nature, we see nature as a part of our identity.” There is a “relationship-like quality” between people and nature, says Hiroko Kamide, program-specific associate professor at Kyoto University’s Graduate School of Law in Japan. She and her colleague Tatsuo Arai examined individuals’ relationship to everyday objects and how they connect them to the natural world in their 2024 study, “Human–object interaction, connectedness with nature, and life satisfaction: a cross-sectional study.” Hiroko Kamide. Image courtesy of Hiroko Kamide Kamide told The Earth and I that people’s connection with nature is interactive and personal. “It is a way of experiencing nature, not as something completely external and separate from oneself, but as something one belongs to and participates in.” “In modern urban life,” she adds, “people are often surrounded by highly artificial environments, and nature can start to feel distant—as if it only exists somewhere else, in the mountains or by the sea. “But in reality, we ourselves are part of nature, and even the objects we use every day are linked to nature through their materials and their production processes. From that perspective, connectedness with nature does not have to arise only in special places. It can also be cultivated through ordinary daily life.” Awareness of Nature Impacts Behavior According to findings from Drosinou’s 2023 paper, individuals who develop a personal connection to nature are more likely to engage in environmentally conscious behavior, such as buying environmentally friendly products or limiting use of goods that rely on scarce resources. “Recognizing the interconnectedness of the world makes moral considerations more apparent and environmental engagement more likely,” says Drosinou. “Recognizing the interconnectedness of the world makes moral considerations more apparent and environmental engagement more likely.” Prata suggests that acquiring compassion towards nature means people not only lower their anxiety levels but behave more positively towards the environment. “[…] we know when we spend time in nature, it's natural that we feel like a part of nature, which could lead to pro-social behaviors,” he says. Armando Prata. Image courtesy of Armando Prata Kamide also found an association between caring for everyday objects and a stronger sense of connectedness with nature and pro-environmental behavior. Actions included separating recyclables from trash, carrying items in reusable bags, and adopting an attitude to use water without wasting it. Kamide builds on this thought: Climate communication must make sure that the subject is not distant from people’s everyday lives. “At certain moments—especially when people are deeply immersed in making or working with something—they may no longer feel entirely separate from the object in front of them,” she explains. “There can be a sense of unity or deep absorption. In our paper, we relate this kind of state to the Buddhist idea of samadhi, and also note its similarity to what psychology describes as ‘flow.’ “When that happens, caring for the environment no longer feels like sacrificing for something completely outside oneself. It can begin to feel more like caring for the world that sustains and includes oneself. In that sense, pro-environmental motivation may arise less from external pressure and more from an inwardly felt sense of connection.” According to Kamide, “Environmental cooperation is not only about isolated individuals making good choices. It is also shaped by a shared sense of what ‘we’ value and how ‘we’ live with objects and nature.” In “Robotics and the Teaching of the Buddha” (in Japanese), published in 2018, she and Masahiro Mori highlighted the Japanese practice of repairing a torn shoji (a traditional paper sliding screen) by placing an autumn leaf over the damaged area to create a new design. This kind of attentive repair can become “part of a shared cultural meaning: a sense that ‘this is how we relate to things,’” she says. Such “shared cultural meaning can support environmental cooperation.” Shoji with autumn leaf motif. Image courtesy of Hiroko Kamide Facing Human Fears of Nature Of course, the physical world carries many real dangers, and many people seek to avoid the unpredictable “wilderness” as much as possible. Scholar P. Wesley Schultz wrote about this estrangement in 2002 with his article, “Inclusion with Nature, The Psychology of Human-Nature Relations.” “We are all a part of nature … as a species, our survival depends on an ecological balance with nature,” Schultz said. Still, especially as people living in industrialized nations, “we spend our lives trying to escape from nature” by virtually hiding in buildings, cars, stores, and other safe, man-made structures. Environmental education can help people reconnect with nature “by changing the perception that people are separate or superior to nature,” says Drosinou. Environmental education can help people reconnect with nature “by changing the perception that people are separate or superior to nature.” Kamide feels this could happen through ordinary life, as people notice how they are all “sustained by other beings, materials, systems, and relationships”—including one with nature. For those with anxiety about nature, Prata believes there are small steps they can take to begin to connect to nature. For instance, he cites the Bussaco National Forest in central Portugal—a certified therapeutic forest inspired by the Japanese philosophy of “shirin-yoku” or “forest bathing”—as a place where a love of nature could be cultivated. Bussaco National Forest in central Portugal. istock Kamide urges a nature-appreciation approach as well. “Rather than taking the people, objects, natural resources, and social systems around us for granted, we can pause and ask: Where did this come from? What supports it? What does my life depend on that I normally do not see?” she says. The Japanese word “arigato” (thank you) relates to the idea that something is precious because it is not guaranteed or easily given, she adds. Gratitude is “a form of awareness of connection.” *Yasmin Prabhudas is a freelance journalist working mainly for nonprofit organizations, labor unions, the education sector, and government agencies.

Carefully Constructed Gardens Replace Cement, Prevent Flooding and Attract Pollinators *By Gordon Cairns A rain garden in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. ©Maureen Flynn-Burhoe/Wikimedia/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) A movement is afoot to beautify cities and populated areas by removing substantial amounts of excess cement and planting greenery that is aimed at reducing stormwater runoff and flooding. Water-absorbing “rain gardens” are popping up around the world and are part of the “Soak Up the Rain” effort by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Individuals can make rain gardens on their own properties while communities can create this green infrastructure in their cities and public areas. Historical Fights Against Flooding In the Middle Ages, the Dutch dealt with the encroaching waters of the North Sea by building dikes, dams, and a canal system to stop, then harness the sea. Since then, countries across the world have been using innovative methods to combat the catastrophic risk of flooding. In Jakarta, Indonesia, for instance, the government plans to build a 20-mile artificial island in Jakarta Bay—in the shape of its national emblem, the eagle-like Garuda bird—to protect its capital city from storm surges. Meanwhile, in the borough of Enfield, London, 80 hectares (about 197 acres) of empty land has been transformed into a natural defense system against flooding in nearby towns. New woodlands have been planted that contain 50 ponds to absorb rainwater. Excess stormwater and flooding can be a common problem in modern population centers. For instance, in the United States’ Great Plains states, its great swaths of prairie grasses and woodlands would have once absorbed the rush of water from heavy rainstorms. But today, when the clouds open up over a typical Midwestern city, the gushing water has less soft soil to slow down its flow, and it instead races over roofs, parking lots, sidewalks, and roads. Runoff is then funneled towards storm drainage systems into rivers, lakes, and streams, even though this can increase the risk of flooding. The Natural Solution A rain garden retaining rainwater. ©Monolito Nimbus (CC BY-SA 4.0) Rain gardens are a beautiful solution to mitigate impervious, man-made, urban landscapes. Rain gardens return the land to something approximating its naturally porous state; it can again capture and filter stormwater before it runs off into storm drains, thus reducing the risk of flooding. Moreover, not only are rain gardens beautiful to look at but maintaining them is good for the gardener’s health. Rain gardens are not just a garden. They are designed to collect water in shallow hollows in the yard that have been filled with appropriate vegetation. This practice, also known as bioretention, is designed to mimic the mechanisms of natural systems that reduce water volume and pollution removal. The rain water is encouraged to slowly seep into the ground. By reducing the velocity of the flow, this process reduces the potential for erosion as well as cutting the amount of pollutants pouring from a yard into a storm drain and waterways. Bioretention next to roads in Greendale, Wisconsin. ©Aaron Volkening/Flickr Another benefit of rain gardens is their help in refilling groundwater in aquifers; they capture runoff in the shallow hollows of up to 2 feet deep to avoid soil compaction and then let it soak deeply into the ground. Furthermore, their design helps them act as a pollution and sediment filter by catching almost the first inch of runoff, which contains the highest concentration of pollutants. Thus, rain gardens transform stormwater from a destructive carrier of pollution into a source of sustenance for plant and wildlife habitats—the plants thrive on nitrogen and phosphorus that is picked up by their roots. Thus, rain gardens transform stormwater from a destructive carrier of pollution into a source of sustenance for plant and wildlife habitats—the plants thrive on nitrogen and phosphorus that is picked up by their roots. Although conventional gardens on one’s property are a valuable asset, they are not a rain garden unless stormwater runoff is directed into the garden. Rain gardens can be difficult to maintain because it is necessary to have a proper grasp of all planted species throughout all seasons to ensure none are accidentally weeded. There are also additional upfront costs, such as the size of a rain garden being 5 to 10% of area where stormwater comes from. Rain gardens also incur additional costs if drainage is needed instead of soil as the filtration medium. Sample diagram of a rain garden. ©Melbourne Water (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) Six Components of a Rain Garden A rain garden typically has six basic components (see image above)—growing medium, vegetation, rock trench, perforated drain, above-ground storage zone, and overflow—according to Kerr Wood Leidal, a Canadian engineering consulting firm. The growing medium supports plant growth and holds water. Vegetation promotes the regeneration of the infiltration surface and supports evaporation and transpiration. A rock trench holds water and releases it after a rainstorm, while a perforated drain protects plant roots from flooding and maintains adequate oxygen in the space. The storage zone above ground holds rainwater after a heavy downpour until the growing medium is able to accept the water. Finally, the overflow protects any nearby buildings when heavy rainfall or freezing of the ground overwhelms the rain garden by safely steering the water to a nearby location. Growing One’s Own Rain Garden If the deep-rooted plants in the rain garden are native to the region, they will not need special attention once they are established. Rain garden plants may be trees, shrubs, and perennials depending on their tolerance to wet or dry soils. Plants may include hornbeam, birch, red and black chokeberry, and big bluestem, depending on the growing zone or region. Of course, non-native plants can be used, provided they are also pest-free and not invasive. The best soil type is sandy soil that drains well, but rain gardens can even be built within gardens with less permeable soils, such as clay, as long as they can absorb the stormwater runoff from the house or garage. The best soil type is sandy soil that drains well, but rain gardens can even be built within gardens with less permeable soils, such as clay, as long as they can absorb the stormwater runoff from the house or garage. A rain garden installation in progress in front of a home. ©Tricia J/Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) Potential rain gardeners can test the infiltration abilities of their soil by digging a hole 8 inches wide by 8 inches deep and filling it with water. If the water level recedes at 1 inch per hour, then the area is perfect for a rain garden without any extra soil preparation. The size of the garden will be determined by the amount of storm runoff that needs to be absorbed and the permeability of the soil, with a sandy soil rain garden needing less space than a clay soil garden. During a rainstorm, watch the flow of the water to find the best place for the garden, bearing in mind it should be at least 10 feet from building foundations and 25 feet away from septic system drain fields. Call the local services provider beforehand to avoid digging into buried cables and pipes. Although a rain garden might look unkempt compared to an immaculate lawn, they do need a degree of maintenance, including regular weeding. A newly planted rain garden should have a mulch, such as wood chips or compost between the plants, to help prevent weeds and erosion, and reduce watering needs. The mulch needs to replenished as necessary and spread by hand to avoid damaging the plants. The Front Yard Initiative A rain garden as part of the Front Yard Initiative. ©Urban Conservancy The City of New Orleans is working to cope with runoff. After a heavy rainfall, the water in this growing metropolis on the Mississippi River delta has few places to go, due to the extent of development. To resolve its runoff problem, New Orleans is helping residents get rid of excess garden paving and encouraging the creation of rain gardens. The city has “had a problematic, unhealthy relationship with water,” according to Dana Eness, executive director of Urban Conservancy (UC), a nonprofit organization that fosters environmental and economic resilience in a warm weather climate. Eness said that after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the city started a conversation with water experts from the Netherlands, a country with water management expertise developed after the devastating North Sea Flood of 1953. The Dutch experts encouraged the city to look for natural solutions to support their infrastructure problem. “They told us what they have learned, which is you can’t engineer your way out of this situation. You have to look at biodiversity, you have to take your lead from Mother Nature by identifying a nature-based solution,” she said. As the city looked for ways to support the green infrastructure, UC started hearing complaints from residents about too much paving in neighbors’ yards, causing water to flood their properties, and so the Front Yard Initiative (FYI) was born. The program encourages people to remove excessive paving and replace it with their own rain gardens. FYI pays residents $2.50 per square foot of paving they lift from their front yard in an initiative designed to let water seep into the ground and reduce the risk the city faces from further flooding. FYI pays residents $2.50 per square foot of paving they lift from their front yard in an initiative designed to let water seep into the ground and reduce the risk the city faces from further flooding. Pavement in front of a house is replaced by a rain garden. ©Al Duvernay In the last 10 years, UC has provided financial and technical assistance to over 150 homes and lifted more than 93,000 square feet of paving from front yards. This allows, at a conservative estimate, 125,000 gallons of water to be diverted from the city’s pumping system and streets and instead absorbed into the ground after a heavy rainfall. This adds up to 4 million gallons annually. Eness explained: “For the individual on their lot and their neighbors, it can be a major quality of life changer. They can now use their backyard that might have held water for three days and can walk from their car to their house without getting their ankles wet due to rainstorm water. “That is a dramatic and immediate improvement,” she said. Eness added that rain gardens also expand the biodiversity of the area: When heat-reflecting pavement is replaced by lush greenery that cools the environment, it attracts butterflies and bees. The runoff in neighborhoods is improved by even one rain garden in the area; this encourages others to build their own bioretention spaces, creating a virtuous circle. Pavement by a road is replaced with a rain garden with various plants. ©Urban Conservancy While the level of water absorption in rain gardens is small compared to a citywide scale—the city’s pumping system has to deal with 450 million gallons in the first hour of a rainstorm—rain gardens keep significant amounts of water out of the system at an important moment. “What this is doing in a volume scale is dwarfed but in that first critical hour, every drop counts,” Eness explained. *Gordon Cairns is a freelance journalist and teacher of English and Forest Schools based in Scotland.

How Big Is Its Footprint? A Google data center in Dalles Oregon. Wikimedia Artificial intelligence (AI) systems—from chatbots to advanced scientific modeling—run inside vast buildings filled with specialized computers called data centers. These facilities store data, run internet services, and train powerful AI models. As the digital economy expands, so does the physical infrastructure needed to support it. But the AI revolution comes with a growing environmental footprint. Data centers require enormous amounts of electricity to power servers and water to cool them, since high-performance computers generate intense heat while operating. Recent research shows that the energy and water demands of these facilities are rising rapidly as AI becomes more widespread. Below are key data points that help explain the scale of the environmental footprint associated with AI and the global data-center industry. Key Data Points Data centers in the United States consumed about 183 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2024, representing more than 4% of all U.S. electricity use. (A terawatt-hour equals 1 trillion watt-hours—enough energy to power tens of thousands of homes for a year.) Analysts estimate that electricity use by US data centers could climb to 426 TWh by 2030, more than doubling current levels as AI workloads expand. Worldwide, data centers already use around 360 TWh annually, comparable to the total electricity consumption of some mid-sized countries. Research modeling future growth suggests AI server expansion in the United States could generate from 24 million to 44 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year between 2024 and 2030, depending on how rapidly AI infrastructure grows. Cooling servers requires large volumes of water, especially in facilities using evaporative cooling towers. Estimates suggest data centers used about 140 billion liters of water in one year worldwide alongside their electricity consumption. US data-center water use rose from 21.2 billion liters (5.6 billion gallons) in 2014 to 66 billion liters (17.46 billion gallons) in 2023. This rapid increase reflects the expansion of cloud computing and AI infrastructure over the past decade. A single large data center may require about 300,000 gallons of water per day Depending on climate and cooling technology, some facilities consume hundreds of thousands of gallons daily to remove heat from servers running continuously. Hyperscale data centers can use up to 5 million gallons of water per day The largest facilities—often used by major cloud providers—may require water volumes comparable to the daily consumption of 30,000 to 50,000 people. Medium-sized data centers can use about 110 million gallons of water annually Cooling infrastructure in a typical facility may consume water equivalent to the yearly usage of roughly 1,000 households. Global AI operations may have a carbon footprint comparable to a major city Estimates suggest that the total emissions from AI systems and related infrastructure could approach those of large metropolitan areas such as New York City, underscoring the scale of the industry’s environmental impact. Why This Matters The growth of artificial intelligence highlights a paradox of the digital age: The more virtual the world becomes, the more physical infrastructure it requires. Massive computing facilities—along with the electricity grids, water supplies, and land needed to support them—are becoming central to the global economy. For policymakers, researchers, and technology companies, the challenge is to ensure that the next generation of AI infrastructure is built with energy efficiency, renewable power, and water-saving cooling technologies in mind. As AI expands into nearly every sector of society, its environmental footprint may become one of the defining sustainability challenges of the digital era. Sources: https://news.mit.edu/2025/explained-generative-ai-environmental-impact-0117 https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/10/24/what-we-know-about-energy-use-at-us-data-centers-amid-the-ai-boom/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666389925002788 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-025-01681-y https://www.eli.org/vibrant-environment-blog/ais-cooling-problem-how-data-centers-are-transforming-water-use  https://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2026/01/11/americas-ai-boom-is-running-into-an-unplanned-water-problem/ https://www.fwpcoa.org/content.aspx https://newatlas.com/environment/google-data-center-texas-water-cooling

Pilot Study Shows Lifestyle Medicine Program Rapidly Improved Cardiometabolic Health Plant-forward diets and exercise are integral parts of a Lifestyle Medicine regimen. istock A 2025 pilot study published in the International Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention evaluated whether a short, immersive lifestyle medicine program could produce clinically meaningful improvements in cardiometabolic health among adults with chronic disease. The results were promising. For little more than three weeks, 12 participants followed a structured program centered on whole-food, plant-based nutrition, daily movement, stress management, and physician-led education. Despite its brief duration, the study at the Institute for Healthier Living in Abu Dhabi, found statistically significant improvements across multiple cardiometabolic, inflammatory, and body-composition markers, as well as substantial reductions in prescription medication use. These findings highlighted how quickly lifestyle shifts can improve individual health while reducing the environmental impact and financial strain on healthcare systems. Key Data Points Systolic blood pressure fell by nearly 30 mmHg. Mean systolic blood pressure dropped from 148.7 mmHg to 118.8 mmHg (p < 0.01). Participants lost an average of 5.1 kg (11.2 lbs). Mean body weight decreased from 112.0 kg to 106.9 kg (p < 0.001), despite no calorie or portion restrictions. Body mass index declined significantly. Average BMI fell from 39.2 to 37.4 kg/m², a reduction of 1.8 BMI units in just three weeks (p < 0.001). Visceral fat decreased by over 130 grams (4.6 ounces). Estimated visceral adipose tissue dropped from 826.8 g to 693.7 g (p < 0.05), indicating reduced cardiometabolic risk. Waist circumference shrank by more than 7 cm (2.6 in). Mean waist size decreased from 120.9 cm to 113.7 cm (p < 0.05), reflecting central fat loss. Fasting blood glucose improved significantly. Average fasting glucose fell from 5.88 to 5.29 mmol/L (p < 0.01), even among participants with type 2 diabetes. Systemic inflammation was cut roughly in half. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) dropped from 5.98 mg/L to 3.04 mg/L (p < 0.01). Atherogenic LDL particle number declined. LDL-P decreased from 1,544 to 1,365 nmol/L (p < 0.05), suggesting reduced cardiovascular risk beyond standard cholesterol measures. Medication use fell dramatically. Of participants taking chronic medications at baseline, 70% discontinued at least one prescription during the three-week program. Complete discontinuation of antihypertensives occurred in 30% of participants. Three participants stopped all blood-pressure medications, and one participant discontinued all diabetes medications. Eighty percent of medicated participants experienced deprescribing or dose reduction. Changes included discontinuation of statins, proton-pump inhibitors, gout medications, and appetite suppressants. Why This Matters Beyond Individual Health This study demonstrates that rapid physiological change is possible through lifestyle-based interventions, even among individuals with advanced cardiometabolic disease, obesity, and multimorbidity. From an environmental perspective, the resulting reductions in medication dependency, clinical interventions, and long-term healthcare utilization could decrease material, pharmaceutical, and energy burdens on health systems. While larger, long-term trials are necessary, these findings strengthen the case for lifestyle medicine as a high-impact, low-resource strategy at the intersection of human health, preventive care, and planetary sustainability.   Sources: Osório TG et al. (2025). Feasibility and Efficacy of a Three-Week Lifestyle Medicine Immersion for Cardiometabolic Markers and Body Composition: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention, 7(2), 11–20. DOI: 10.22230/ijdrp.2025v7n2a599

Smoke from indoor cooking can pose a serious health risk. Pexels Air pollution continues to be one of the most serious—and often invisible—threats to human health worldwide, says the State of Global Air Report 2025: A Report on Air Pollution and Its Role in the World’s Leading Causes of Death. The State of Global Air (SoGA) report is widely considered one of the most reliable and authoritative sources of air quality data in the world. The SoGA 2025 report, published by the Health Effects Institute and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Global Burden of Disease project, says polluted air is not just an environmental issue—it is a major driver of chronic disease, premature death, and reduced quality of life across the globe. Drawing on 2023 data, the report highlights how exposure to fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅), ozone, and nitrogen dioxide affects billions of people daily. There is progress: Between 2013 and 2023, 13 countries reduced their average ambient levels of fine particulate matter, while seven countries saw increases. Regarding average annual exposure to nitrogen dioxide between 2013 and 2023, 11 countries improved while nine countries saw increases. However, globally, the average exposure to ambient ozone pollution has increased steadily since 1990, the report says, adding that “the largest health burdens” are seen in low- and middle-income countries.” Key Data Points Almost 8 million deaths in 2023 were linked to air pollution—roughly 1 in every 8 deaths worldwide, making it one of the leading global risk factors for mortality. Eighty-six percent of those deaths (6.8 million) were caused by noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, lung disease, and dementia. Air pollution contributed to 232 million years of healthy life lost globally, reflecting long-term illness and disability—not just early death. Ninety-five percent of air pollution–related deaths among adults over age 60 are tied to chronic diseases, underscoring pollution’s role in aging-related health decline. More than 625,000 deaths in 2023 were linked specifically to dementia associated with air pollution; dementia is a newly added category in this year’s report. Thirty-six percent of the global population is exposed to PM₂.₅ levels above even the least strict international guideline (35 μg/m³). Nearly 2.6 billion people (about one-third of humanity) are still exposed to household air pollution from burning solid fuels like wood, charcoal, and dung for cooking. Ambient PM₂.₅ alone accounts for about 4.9 million deaths, making it the single largest air pollution risk factor. Low- and middle-income countries bear the greatest burden, accounting for roughly 90% of air pollution deaths, due to higher exposure and fewer health protections. Why It Matters Air pollution is no longer just about smoggy skies—it is deeply intertwined with the global rise of chronic diseases. The report makes clear that tackling air pollution could significantly reduce rates of heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and other major illnesses. At the same time, solutions are well known: cleaner energy, improved cooking technologies, stricter emissions standards, and better urban planning. The challenge is scaling these solutions quickly and equitably—especially in regions where the health stakes are highest. Sources: State of Global Air Report 2025 https://www.healthdata.org/news-events/newsroom/news-releases/new-report-shows-nearly-9-10-global-air-pollution-deaths-are https://www.healtheffects.org/announcements/new-state-global-air-2025-report-shows-nearly-nine-ten-global-air-pollution-deaths-are

Booming Demand Seen in Food, Pharmaceutical, Textile Industries Traditional seaweed farming in Bali, Indonesia. istock Seaweed aquaculture—the farming of marine macroalgae such as kelp, nori, and wakame—is increasingly viewed as one of the most environmentally sustainable forms of food production, according to government and market analysts. Seaweed grows entirely in seawater and relies on sunlight and naturally dissolved nutrients, meaning it requires no freshwater irrigation, fertilizers, or pesticides. As seaweed grows, it absorbs carbon dioxide and excess nutrients from the surrounding ocean, helping improve water quality and support marine ecosystems. Meanwhile, global demand for seaweed products—from food and animal feed to fertilizers, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and biomaterials—is expanding rapidly, says the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Market analyses from Cognitive Market Research and The Business Research Company suggest the seaweed sector could become a major component of the emerging “blue economy,” combining environmental benefits with significant economic growth potential. Key Environmental and Market Data Points Every year, about 35 million metric tons of seaweed are produced globally, making seaweed one of the largest sectors of aquaculture worldwide. The global seaweed cultivation market was valued at approximately $19.29 billion in 2024. The sector is projected to expand at a 10.34% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2024 and 2031. North America accounted for a tiny slice—about 4.05%—of the global seaweed cultivation market in 2024. This indicates significant room for expansion of seaweed farming along US and Canadian coastlines. The global commercial seaweed market reached approximately $24.47 billion in 2025, It is expected to grow to reach $43.1 billion by 2030, reflecting strong growth across food, agriculture, and industrial uses. The commercial seaweed sector is projected to grow at roughly 12% compound annual growth annually through the decade. Seaweed aquaculture requires no freshwater because seaweed grows directly in seawater. It also requires no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers since macroalgae absorb nutrients already dissolved in seawater. Seaweed absorbs two major nutrient pollutants—nitrogen and phosphorus—from coastal waters, helping reduce eutrophication and harmful algal blooms. Growing seaweed absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen through photosynthesis, helping support marine ecosystem health. Seaweed can be grown alongside shellfish or finfish in integrated multitrophic aquaculture systems, where it absorbs excess nutrients produced by other farmed species. Aerial view of a contemporary South Korean seaweed farm. istock Sources: NOAA Fisheries – Seaweed Aquaculture (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/aquaculture/seaweed-aquaculture) The Business Research Company – Commercial Seaweed Global Market Report (https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/commercial-seaweed-global-market-report) Cognitive Market Research – Seaweed Cultivation Market Report (https://www.cognitivemarketresearch.com/seaweed-cultivation-market-report

Easy to grow and harvest, bamboo forests produce much more biomass per hectare than traditional timber forests. Simon Joseph/Unsplash Scientists have developed a new bamboo-based bioplastic that not only rivals conventional petroleum plastics in strength and durability but can also biodegrade in soil within just 50 days. The study, by Haipeng Yu and colleagues and published in Nature Communications, represents an advance that could reshape some areas of the global plastics industry. The material, often referred to as bamboo molecular plastic or BM-plastic, is made by dissolving and breaking down bamboo cellulose using a nontoxic biodegradable solvent and then chemically reassembling the component cellulose parts with the help of an ethanol solvent. The result is a dense, high-performance material that behaves much like traditional plastic—but without its long-term environmental costs. In laboratory testing, the bamboo bioplastic demonstrated mechanical strength and thermal stability comparable to, and in some cases exceeding, widely used plastics such as polylactic acid (PLA) and high-impact polystyrene. Scientists reported tensile strengths exceeding 100 megapascals (comparable to the strength of medium-carbon steel or high-strength aluminum alloys used in automotive and aerospace applications) and high resistance to heat and stress. Crucially, unlike most conventional plastics—which can persist in the environment for centuries—the new material fully decomposes in soil in under two months. As noted in a research summary by the Springer Nature publishing company, the plastic “can biodegrade in soil within 50 days,” offering a dramatically shorter life cycle. Bioplastic Outperforms the Regular Kind Researchers emphasize that the material does not sacrifice performance for sustainability. In fact, the study found that “the BM-plastic outperforms most commercial plastics and bioplastics” while maintaining rapid biodegradability and recyclability. The innovation addresses a major limitation that has long hindered biodegradable plastics: strength. Many earlier plant-based plastics lacked the durability needed for real-world use, particularly in infrastructure or manufacturing. By contrast, the bamboo-derived plastic can be molded, machined, and processed using existing industrial techniques, increasing its potential for widespread adoption. The environmental stakes are high. Global plastic pollution continues to grow, with millions of tons of plastic waste entering oceans and landfills each year. Traditional plastics, derived from fossil fuels, not only resist decomposition but also fragment into microplastics and nanoplastics that infiltrate ecosystems and human bodies. Bamboo Boon Bamboo is a fast-growing, renewable “grassy tree” that can be harvested annually and produces significantly more biomass than timber, which requires 10–50 years to come to harvestability. Beyond biodegradability, the new bamboo plastic is also recyclable, retaining up to 90% of its original strength after processing—an important feature for circular manufacturing systems. This dual capability—recyclability followed by rapid biodegradation—could significantly reduce long-term waste accumulation. Experts say scalability will determine the technology’s ultimate impact. Early analyses suggest the material could be produced at costs competitive with conventional plastics, particularly as demand for sustainable materials grows and regulations tighten around single-use plastics. If successfully commercialized, bamboo bioplastics could find applications in everything from packaging and consumer goods to automotive and construction materials—industries currently dominated by fossil-based plastics. While further testing and industrial scaling are still underway, the breakthrough signals a promising shift toward materials that align performance with environmental responsibility. In the global effort to curb plastic pollution, bamboo may prove to be one of nature’s most powerful allies.

Researchers Use AI to Measure Global Growth in Marine Macroalgae Algae blooms on coastal rocks—Spain. Pexels A groundbreaking global study, led by researchers at the University of South Florida, NOAA, Columbia University. and other institutions, is revealing that algae blooms—long considered a localized or seasonal phenomenon—are now expanding across vast stretches of the world’s oceans. By applying artificial intelligence (AI) to decades of satellite imagery, scientists have, for the first time, mapped the scale, speed, and distribution of floating algae worldwide.   As the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes, algae are a vital part of marine food webs, but sometimes they become problematic: Scientists now monitor algae blooms for impacts on ocean chemistry as well as localized problems for human health, fisheries, and tourism.   The new findings, published in Nature Communications and highlighted by researchers at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, suggest that warming oceans, shifting currents, and nutrient pollution are fueling a significant increase in both microscopic and large floating algae.   Key Data Points Researchers used AI and machine learning to analyze approximately 1.2 million satellite images spanning 2003–2022, enabling the first comprehensive global map of floating algae blooms. Floating algae blooms now occupy a cumulative area of about 43.8 million square kilometers (16.9 million square miles), highlighting their massive global footprint. Large algae (such as seaweed) are expanding rapidly in key regions like the tropical Atlantic and western Pacific at a rate of 13.4% annually since 2003. Smaller algae (phytoplankton surface scums) are also growing, though more slowly, at about 1.0% per year globally. In areas like the Indian Ocean, floating algae blooms have tripled, signaling rapid regional intensification. The most dramatic expansion in algae biomass occurred after 2008. This suggests a connection to warming oceans. Scientists warn the ocean may be shifting from a “macroalgae-poor” to “macroalgae-rich” system, fundamentally altering marine ecosystems. Advanced deep-learning models can now identify algae that occupy less than 1% of a satellite image pixel, dramatically improving detection accuracy. Both micro- and macroalgae blooms have shown statistically significant growth over 20 years, indicating a sustained global trend rather than short-term variability.   Why It Matters Ocean warming and nutrient runoff are key drivers of bloom expansion. While offshore algae can support marine life, coastal accumulation can harm fisheries, tourism, and human health. Expanding blooms may alter carbon cycling, oxygen levels, and ocean chemistry at a global scale.   Sources: https://lamont.columbia.edu/news/harnessing-ai-scientists-discover-rise-floating-algae-across-global-ocean https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-66822-5 https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ai-reveal-global-surge-algae.html https://www.noaa.gov/what-is-harmful-algal-bloom

World Meteorological Organization Set to Release 2026 Assessment A group of Adelie penguins on an iceberg in Antarctica. Far above their heads, the ozone hole is shrinking. Jason Auch/Wikipedia In late 2025. scientists at the US atmosphere-monitoring agencies reported that the year’s Antarctic ozone hole was the fifth smallest since 1992, the year the Montreal Protocol’s phase-out of ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) began to take effect. Now the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is preparing to release its next comprehensive Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion later this year. This evaluation, coauthored every four years by hundreds of international experts and supported by the UN Environment Programme, will provide the most definitive look yet at the ozone layer’s path toward a full midcentury recovery. A ‘Healing’ in the Skies The success of the Montreal Protocol and its Kigali Amendment—which targets climate-warming hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)—remains a beacon of environmental hope. By phasing out over 99% of controlled ODSs, the treaty is projected to avoid up to 0.5°C of global warming by 2100. “Today, the ozone layer is healing,” said UN Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Andersen. “Ozone-depleting substances have now been virtually eradicated and the hole in the ozone layer is closing. That is multilateralism at its very, very best.” The Road to 2040 and Beyond Based on current recovery rates, the ozone layer is projected to return to 1980 levels—prior to the appearance of the significant “hole”—according to the following timeline: 2040 for the majority of the world 2045 over the Arctic 2066 over Antarctica. “As predicted, we're seeing ozone holes trending smaller in area than they were in the early 2000s,” noted Paul Newman, a senior scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “They're forming later in the season and breaking up earlier.” Challenges for 2026 and Beyond The 2026 Assessment is slated for release in late 2026 and will not only celebrate progress but address emerging threats. Key concerns include the planned termination of NASA’s Aura mission, a satellite critical for monitoring atmospheric chemistry since 2004. Experts warn that losing such high-vertical-resolution data could impact long-term monitoring. Further, the report will evaluate the potential ozone-thinning risks of "stratospheric aerosol injection"—a geoengineering technique proposed to cool the planet—and the need for stronger ground networks to detect illegal chemical emissions.

Watchdog Institute Says More Territory Covered, But Results Weak Coral at low tide. Pexels In January 2021, the United Nations designated the next 10 years as the “ocean decade.” A key goal is for nations to work together to protect the well-being and biodiversity of 30% of marine, coastal, terrestrial and inland water areas by 2030, a plan known as “30 x 30.” An ocean protection advocacy group has recently released a midway report that finds global marine protections are increasing, but they may not be delivering meaningful conservation benefits.   New assessments highlighted by the Marine Conservation Institute (MCI) suggest that the world is still far from achieving not just the quantity, but the quality, of activities needed to safeguard marine biodiversity. Key Data Points New global assessments now cover 43,830,000 km² of ocean, representing 12.1% of the global ocean (including proposed protected areas). According to the MCI’s Marine Protection Atlas, 9.6% of the ocean is currently designated as protected. When stricter criteria are applied, just 3.2% of the global ocean is considered fully or highly protected—meaning it is effectively managed for biodiversity conservation. According to MCI, about 27% more of global ocean areas need to be effectively protected over the next five years to achieve “30 x 30” targets. Approximately one-quarter of reported marine protected areas (MPAs) exist largely on paper and are not yet implemented in practice. About one-third of MPAs permit high-impact activities such as bottom trawling and dredging, which undermine conservation goals. The analysis underpinning these findings assessed over 90% of the world’s marine protected area coverage, offering one of the most comprehensive evaluations to date. Why It Matters The “30 x 30” goal is part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. A seventh national progress report was due in February, and 125 countries filed reports. The ultimate goals are to ensure that by 2050, “the shared vision of living in harmony with nature is fulfilled,” according to the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity. Source: Marine Conservation Institute

Could Be a Boon for 2 Billion People Where Water Is Scarce or Unsafe For people in regions that are arid or where clean drinking water is hard to find, whether through pollution, parasite contamination, or disaster, the new technology could be a lifesaver. Pixabay In a breakthrough that could redefine water security for the world’s most arid regions, Prof. Omar Yaghi—one of three 2025 Nobel Prize winners in Chemistry—has unveiled a revolutionary machine. It is capable, depending on the size at which it’s constructed, of extracting up to 1,000 liters of clean drinking water daily from the atmosphere. Unlike traditional dehumidifiers that fail in dry climates, this device operates in humidity levels as low as 20%, making it a potential lifeline for the 2 billion people globally who currently lack access to safe or sufficient water. The heart of his innovation lies in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), a class of synthetic, porous materials Yaghi pioneered, building on the work of the two other 2025 Nobel chemistry laureates, Richard Robson and Susumu Kitagawa, whose earlier studies of coordination networks and porous polymers made the new field possible. MOFs act as “molecular sponges” through an internal surface area so vast that if the internal area of a single gram were stretched out it would cover a football field. By “reimagining matter” and then engineering the “chemical stickiness” of these pores and tunnels, Yaghi created a material that specifically attracts water molecules while ignoring other gases. The process is remarkably efficient and off-grid. During the night, the MOF granules absorb moisture from the air. When the sun rises, ambient solar heat triggers the release of the trapped water, which then condenses into liquid. During successful field tests in California’s Death Valley, the machine proved it could reliably produce water in one of the hottest, driest places on Earth. The Plight of the Water-Deprived In his Nobel Prize banquet speech, Yaghi, age 61, reflected on the personal drive motivating his work. He recalled how he grew up in a refugee camp in Jordan, without running water or electricity, where he and his family had to wait for government-delivered water every week or two. “I remember the whisper through our neighborhood—‘the water is coming’—and the urgency as I rushed to fill every container I could find before the flow stopped,” said Yaghi, a chemistry professor at the University of California at Berkeley. The technology, commercialized through Yaghi’s company Atoco, is being deployed in shipping-container–sized units. These are particularly vital for anywhere prone to hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters that often destroy centralized water infrastructure or maroon communities entirely. Such units could also be a lifeline for areas that are arid or drought-stricken. Because the machine requires no external power or brine-producing desalination, it offers a sustainable “personalized water” future where households or villages can be entirely self-sufficient. Discussing the broader impact of this new MOF science, Yaghi emphasized the environmental stakes: “The key development here is that it operates at low humidity, because that is what it is in arid regions of the world.” As climate change intensifies droughts and storms, the ability to pull water from “thin air” without taxing the environment marks a monumental shift. Yaghi added that, by scaling this technology, the world could eventually become one where access to water can no longer be threatened by infrastructure failure or political or ethnic conflict, because it can be harvested directly from the sky.