The need for freshwater is growing along with a rising global population.
Threats to that critical resource are rising too, as climate change amplifies the risks of catastrophic droughts and floods to dangerous extremes. Stanford researchers are addressing these and other freshwater threats in some of the most water-challenged regions of the world. In both developed and developing nations, Woods-affiliated scholars are looking for ways to meet the growing demand for freshwater through innovative, practical solutions ranging from recyling wastewater to improving water use efficiency and urban stormwater management to reducing the impact of agriculture and other land uses on water systems.
Woods research programs like the Global Freshwater Initiative, Program on Water, Health & Development, and Water in the West provide critical data and analysis about sustainable freshwater resources while developing strategies to ensure the long-term viability of water supplies from both a scientific and governance perspective. Through these and other interdisciplinary initiatives across campus, Stanford researchers are working to improve water security for people in the American West and around the world.
Where We Work
Freshwater Program News
Featuring Stanford-wide discoveries and insights related to water.
Site news
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Here are four ways Stanford faculty are making the most of a valuable resource: wastewater. Hold your nose and jump in.
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New research shows flood-related damage to rice crops has surged in recent decades. Wider adoption of flood-resistant varieties could help curb future losses.
Featured Events
Liquid Assets Workshop
Get perspectives from leading water-law scholars in a lively discussion of the major freshwater challenges facing the United States and the world and what role, if any, the private sector can play in solving those challenges. The workshop expands on Professor Buzz Thompson’s provocative new book, Liquid Asset, which argues for a greater private role.