Healthy rivers are essential for thriving communities, and smart, nature-based solutions are proving crucial to turning things around in a changing climate. In this episode, Derek Vollmer, Director of Waterscapes for the World Wildlife Fund, shares how their program uses innovative, place-based strategies to restore rivers and build resilience worldwide.

From the US-Mexico border, solutions for the Rio Grande include removing invasive trees and optimizing dam operations to restore flow and support wildlife. In Pakistan, the groundbreaking \"Recharge Pakistan\" project uses ecosystem restoration, like forests and wetlands, to reduce both flood and drought risks. Further, lessons from the Netherlands\' \"Room for the River\" program show how giving rivers space to ebb and flow can protect communities from climate impacts, providing powerful insights for the U.S.

This is a conversation from the Reservoir Center in Washington, D.C.

waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet.

California's water future could be shaped by a $20 billion gamble with the controversial Delta Tunnel.

This episode dives deep into the high-stakes project with Camille von Kaenel, California Environment Reporter for Politico.

She unravels the complex plan to transport water from Northern to Southern California, detailing its immense cost, the decades-long permitting battles, and the stark divide between its proponents and opponents, , including Governor Gavin Newsom who champions it as a climate resiliency project as his term heads to an end.

With Southern California utilities facing budget holes from successful conservation and a dwindling Colorado River supply, the conversation explores the decisions ahead and whether to invest in the massive tunnel infrastructure or prioritize ambitious local water recycling projects.

Learn why this debate isn't just about water, but about politics, endangered species, and the very identity of California's communities.

waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for sustainability in water.

Decades of overpumping groundwater around Houston caused the land to sink by as much as 15 feet, forcing neighborhoods to flood and entire communities to relocate.

This episode explores how land subsidence developed, and how science, regulation, and infrastructure are now stopping the ground from sinking.

Chrissy Butcher of Baytown Nature Center and Jason Ramage of the U.S. Geological Survey explain how groundwater extraction triggered massive subsidence and how the problem was first discovered through local surveys and monitoring data.

Mike Turco of the Harris Galveston Subsidence District details how regulations now limit groundwater pumping, driving a shift to surface water and helping subsidence rates drop to near zero in key areas. Chris Canonico of Ardurra Group explains the construction of massive surface water infrastructure that supplies millions of people and supports Houston’s rapid growth.

Tina Peterson of the Harris County Flood Control District discusses the added flood risks from subsidence and how flood detention, buyouts, and channel improvements are reducing flood damage. John Ellis of INTERA describes how advanced science tools like extensometers, InSAR, and groundwater models inform long-term management decisions.

Houston’s experience now serves as a model for other regions facing subsidence challenges, including California’s Central Valley.

waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability.