CH2M Hill

After two weeks of negotiations on how to tackle land degradation, desertification and drought, the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) concluded today in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. 

Federal water infrastructure funding in the United States is set to fall roughly 63% between fiscal year 2026 and fiscal year 2027, dropping from US$23.4 billion to an estimated US$8.6 billion. But according to new analysis from Bluefield Research, a leading provider of global water market data and insights, the story behind this anticipated decline is more nuanced than the headline suggests.

For decades, environmental scientists have struggled to predict where emerging contaminants end up in rivers—whether they linger in sediments or remain mobile in the water. That uncertainty has made risk assessment difficult and management decisions unreliable.

Microplastics are turning up almost everywhere – from oceans and rivers to soils and sediments – yet far less is known about what happens when they enter freshwater wetlands. Often overlooked in favor of marine and coastal environments, wetlands can act as both pathways and traps for microplastics, potentially capturing and retaining pollution.

Labs across the world will collect wastewater samples on Global Wastewater Day in 2027 to generate a unique snapshot of international public health.

By pairing water quality research with community engagement, scientists and tribal leaders help residents identify safe drinking water sources.