Some farmers keep growing in flood- and drought-prone fields because subsidies soften the losses, while federal programs meant to help them change course have been underfunded and mired in bureaucracy. Under Trump, those programs may weaken further.
Resilience
US schools were built for a cooler climate that no longer exists. Now they face record-high temperatures.
In the rush to put out wildfires, hundreds of millions of litres of fire retardant are dropped on forests across North America. New research shows the effects they can have on water and ecosystems — especially when accidents happen
With reservoirs at less than 15% capacity and rainfall declining, Cyprus is ramping up desalination to secure drinking water. Officials see it as vital to ending reliance on rainfall, but critics warn of environmental risks and high costs.
Shrinking post-Katrina levees need $1B in upgrades
02 September
Twenty years out from the New Orleans disaster, the city’s levee and flood wall system must be raised or the region could become ineligible for federal flood insurance.
Sea level rise, dwindling fisheries and Trump budget cuts make the Passamaquoddy tribe’s resiliency quest a test of smart planning and stubborn will.
As extreme weather and climate-driven disasters intensify, many local officials fail to send lifesaving warnings through a federal emergency alert system designed to quickly reach people in harm’s way.
In short:
- The federal Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) can send urgent alerts to cellphones and media, but many communities don't use it due to high software costs, inadequate training, or fear of backlash from false alarms.
- Since 2016, at least 15 federally declared disasters saw failures to send timely IPAWS alerts, with some alerts arriving only after catastrophic flooding, fires, or mudslides had already begun.
- In recent tragedies, including the July 4 floods in Kerr County, Texas, local leaders either slept through the event or opted to use less-effective systems, resulting in over 100 deaths, many of them children.
Key quote:
“The most common mode of warning system failure is failure to initiate warnings in the first place.”
— Art Botterell, former senior emergency services coordinator, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
Why this matters:
In an age of intensifying climate disasters, fast, clear communication can mean the difference between life and death. Yet across the U.S., particularly in rural or underfunded regions, many emergency managers remain unprepared or hesitant to use IPAWS, the government’s most powerful public alert tool. Technical issues, budget constraints, and a lack of training often prevent its deployment when it’s needed most. Without federal requirements or standards for using the system, alerting remains inconsistent and fragmented — leaving communities vulnerable during floods, wildfires, and storms. As disasters increase, so does the human toll from these missed warnings, particularly in areas where families may be asleep, out of cell range, or unaware that danger is coming.
Learn more: Early flood and fire warnings often go unheeded, leaving communities exposed to deadly disasters
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The Trump administration is moving to divert funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to cover maintenance costs on federal lands, bypassing Congress and potentially gutting decades of bipartisan conservation work.
In short:
- The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), long supported across party lines, uses offshore oil and gas revenues to expand and protect public lands, aiding thousands of projects nationwide over six decades.
- Trump and U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are working to reroute LWCF money away from conservation land purchases toward routine upkeep of federal properties, effectively undermining the program without formally defunding it.
- The broader Republican strategy includes freezing funding for public land protections, slashing agency budgets, and weakening environmental regulations, all while freeing funds to offset tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy.
Why this matters:
The Land and Water Conservation Fund has played a central role in preserving open space, wildlife corridors, and public access to nature for generations. Its success stems from a rare alignment of political will and public enthusiasm for protecting America’s outdoor heritage. Reallocating its funds to basic upkeep — without legislative approval — threatens not just new conservation opportunities, but the entire premise of public stewardship. As the climate shifts and development pressure grows, protected lands provide critical habitat, clean water, and places for people to breathe, explore, and connect.
Read more: Trump-era staff cuts strain Yosemite rangers as summer crowds surge
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The crises of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss stem from humanity’s severed relationship with nature, argues former United Nations official Tim Christophersen, who calls for treating ecosystems as vital infrastructure.
In short:
- Christophersen, now working in the private sector after years at the UN Environment Programme, believes restoration efforts must be central to environmental policy and investment.
- His book Generation Restoration argues nature can recover quickly if given diversity and space, and that imagination is needed to counter generational amnesia about nature’s former abundance.
- He promotes ecosystem restoration as essential infrastructure — on par with roads and energy systems — and sees collaboration between public and private sectors as key to long-term climate resilience.
Key quote:
“... unlike in a human relationship, we cannot divorce from nature, because we cannot live without nature.”
— Tim Christophersen, former UN Environment Programme official
Why this matters:
Seeing ecosystems as infrastructure marks a profound shift in how societies might tackle climate change and public health threats. The degradation of forests, wetlands, and oceans accelerates disasters like floods, heatwaves, food shortages, and disease outbreaks. Yet science shows ecosystems can rebound if given room and resources. Restoring mangroves, for example, buffers coastlines and stores carbon. Rebuilding soil health on farms improves water retention and reduces pesticide use. These systems support not just wild species, but human well-being and economies.
Related: Restoring Ecuador’s páramos brings water and wildlife back to life
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After a 2020 oil spill devastated marine life and livelihoods in southeast Mauritius, a group of women turned to farming and built a thriving agricultural collective from ruined coastal land.
In short:
- When the MV Wakashio spilled 1,000 tons of fuel oil into protected coastal waters in 2020, it destroyed marine ecosystems and the local fishing economy in Pointe d’Esny.
- In the wake of the disaster, Sandy Monrose and other women formed the South-East Ladies Agro collective, receiving land from a private landowner and training in sustainable farming practices.
- Today, the women grow organic produce on restored farmland, generating food and income for their families while building a support system rooted in community and female solidarity.
Key quote:
“I’ve found something that keeps me going, and every day we’re getting food to take home. Here we come back to the source as women.”
— Marie Claire Robinson, trainee farmer
Why this matters:
When marine disasters hit small island nations, the fallout is often deeper than lost revenue or polluted coastlines — it disrupts entire ways of life. The 2020 oil spill in Mauritius, caused by a grounded cargo ship, blackened fragile coral reefs and mangroves, killed marine life, and abruptly ended generations of fishing traditions. Women, already marginalized in the local economy, were pushed further to the edge. But in adapting to the crisis, they also revealed a powerful shift: women turning to the land, organizing collectively, and practicing agroecology not only fed families but fostered resilience and healing.
Related: Tobago's oil spill crisis: a threat to marine life and local economy
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NASA's Earth science program, a vital source of environmental and health data, faces steep funding cuts under the Trump administration that could derail research on climate-linked health risks like Lyme disease and air pollution.
In short:
- NASA’s Earth Science Division provides environmental data used to track disease outbreaks, study air quality, and analyze climate impacts on health, including conditions like asthma, malaria, and preterm birth.
- Proposed budget cuts would reduce NASA's funding by nearly 25%, slashing Earth science funding by more than half and prompting early retirements, layoffs, and lab closures.
- Scientists warn that losing access to NASA's satellite data could severely limit efforts to monitor and respond to public health threats, particularly in underserved areas with limited ground-based monitoring.
Key quote:
NASA "really enabled a whole new world of health research that the public health community hadn’t been doing yet.”
— Susan Anenberg, director of the George Washington University Climate and Health Institute
Why this matters:
Environmental data collected from space has become a critical tool for public health. NASA’s satellite monitoring helps scientists forecast disease outbreaks, assess the spread of tick- and mosquito-borne illnesses, and track harmful pollutants like wildfire smoke and particulate matter. As climate change shifts weather patterns and intensifies extreme events, these tools offer early warning systems for both local health departments and international health agencies. Cutting this research pipeline could leave vulnerable communities blind to risks that satellites now help illuminate. With fewer resources, efforts to understand how environmental shifts affect everything from pregnancy outcomes to heat-related deaths may falter.
Read more: Cuts to weather and disaster agencies weakening U.S. climate resilience
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Arizona mayors from across the state have launched a new coalition to push back against looming water cuts from the Colorado River, warning that current negotiations could leave their communities at risk.
In short:
- More than 20 Arizona municipalities and the Central Arizona Project (CAP) formed the Coalition for Protecting Arizona’s Lifeline to defend the state’s access to Colorado River water as negotiations among seven western states remain gridlocked.
- The Colorado River, already strained by more than two decades of drought and climate-driven aridification, faces renewed shortages, with Arizona set to lose 18% of its supply next year.
- State leaders argue that Arizona has already taken major conservation steps, and they want other states — especially those in the Upper Basin — to shoulder more of the burden as the 2026 deadline for new water use guidelines approaches.
Key quote:
“Any dramatic reallocation of Colorado River water that CAP delivers will present a threat to Arizona.”
— Brenda Burman, general manager of the Central Arizona Project
Why this matters:
The Colorado River supports 40 million people across seven U.S. states and Mexico, but the system is buckling under the weight of overallocation and worsening climate conditions. Declining snowpack and rising temperatures have reduced flows, while legal agreements based on outdated water assumptions have made cooperation harder. Arizona, home to booming cities and major agricultural operations, depends heavily on water piped in from hundreds of miles away. As the federal government prepares to set new rules by 2026, disagreements between Upper and Lower Basin states threaten to upend water access for millions. Without compromise, the conflict could spill into the courts, delaying any real progress as reservoirs like Lake Powell inch closer to dead pool levels.
Read more: Trump administration backs desert groundwater project to ease Colorado River strain
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Flooding from Hurricane Helene forced a dramatic rooftop evacuation at a rural Tennessee hospital last year, but efforts to rebuild the facility now face collapse due to deep health care cuts in President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill.
In short:
- Ballad Health’s CEO vowed to rebuild Unicoi County Hospital after it was inundated during Hurricane Helene, but changes to Medicaid funding under Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” threaten that plan.
- The law slashes provider taxes that many states use to boost Medicaid payments to rural hospitals, which could leave more than 300 such facilities at risk of closure nationwide.
- Although the law created a $50 billion rural hospital fund, hospital leaders say it won’t make up for the cuts, and some lawmakers who voted for the bill now support rolling back its Medicaid provisions.
Key quote:
“It will force hospitals to make service line reductions and staff reductions, resulting in longer waiting times in emergency departments and for other essential services, and could ultimately lead to facility closures, especially in rural and underserved areas.”
— Rick Pollack, president of the American Hospital Association
Why this matters:
Rural hospitals are often the only source of emergency care for miles in communities already underserved by the health care system. They operate on thin margins and rely heavily on Medicaid reimbursements and provider taxes to stay open. When a major facility like Unicoi County Hospital is destroyed — by climate-driven disasters like extreme flooding — and rebuilding is stalled by federal budget cuts, entire regions can lose access to lifesaving care. These closures disproportionately impact low-income, elderly, and medically vulnerable populations. As climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather events, pressure will mount on the already fragile rural health infrastructure.
Read more: Hurricane survivors in Appalachia rebuild as distrust in government and science grows
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As Spain swelters under record-breaking temperatures, centuries-old coping methods — from siestas to thick-walled homes — offer practical lessons for a warming Europe.
Jason Horowitz and Ilvy Njiokiktjien report for The New York Times.
In short:
- Seville uses traditional shading, thick walls, and controlled airflow techniques dating back to ancient Persia to keep indoor spaces dozens of degrees cooler than outside.
- Hospitals and workplaces are updating these ancient cooling principles, combining water-cooled systems with modern technology to protect patients, equipment, and workers.
- Public health measures now include home visits to vulnerable older adults, labor regulations for outdoor work, and lifestyle adjustments like shifting children’s play to nighttime.
Key quote:
“The climate is changing, and it’s us who have to adapt to it — not the other way around.”
— Manuel Morales, wholesale market worker in Seville
Why this matters:
Spain’s blend of historical wisdom and modern solutions shows how communities can survive — and even thrive — while climate change turns up the heat. High temperatures can be deadly, especially for the elderly. In Seville and other Spanish cities, the sun can scorch, pushing temperatures into the triple digits and turning the city into a slow cooker. But Spaniards are responding by reviving centuries-old survival hacks, showing how historical ingenuity can meet modern crises. In an era of intensifying heat waves, Seville’s blend of tradition and science offers a lesson for a world running hotter and faster than ever.Read more:
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Small plots in cities are being transformed into layered food forests, giving residents a chance to harvest fruits and nuts while supporting local ecosystems.
In short:
- Food forests combine edible trees, shrubs, and plants in multilayered arrangements that mimic natural ecosystems, supporting pollinators and improving soil health.
- Thoughtful design — including wide paths, sight lines, and seating — ensures these spaces are accessible, safe, and enjoyable for visitors of all ages.
- Beyond nutrition, these urban forests provide habitat for birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife, turning underused city lots into mini ecosystems.
Key quote:
“You’re targeting different crops and trying to balance ecosystem restoration and food production, which I think we can do in the same piece of ground.”
— Lincoln Smith, founder of Forested
Why this matters:
The benefits of urban food forests extend far beyond the human eye. These innovative green spaces can improve public health by providing free, fresh produce and encouraging outdoor activity, while also mitigating urban heat and supporting biodiversity. In cities that often feel disconnected from nature, urban food forests offer a taste of both nourishment and resilience, proving that even amid urban sprawl, heat, and noise, communities can cultivate both health and habitat.
Read more:
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A record-breaking summer of heat-related illness is colliding with federal budget cuts that are dismantling local alert systems and stalling life-saving responses.
In short:
- North Carolina’s heat alert system, which sends warnings at lower temperatures than federal thresholds, is expected to shut down this September due to the early termination of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant.
- President Trump’s proposed 2026 budget eliminates climate and health programs at CDC, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other agencies, including the National Integrated Heat Health Information System, which coordinated local heat responses in cities like Miami and Phoenix.
- Staffing shortages at the National Weather Service are preventing follow-through on updated heat warning thresholds and limiting partnerships with hospitals to track heat-related illness.
Key quote:
“We want to be sending out heat alerts when the forecast looks like it will be at an unhealthy level, not once it is already there.”
— Autumn Locklear, climate and health epidemiologist
Why this matters:
Extreme heat is the deadliest form of weather in the U.S., silently contributing to thousands of deaths every year through heart stress, dehydration, and respiratory failure. But unlike hurricanes or floods, heat doesn’t always provoke swift public warnings — especially when federal thresholds lag behind modern health science. Local health agencies trying to adapt to rising temperatures have increasingly built their own early warning systems, using updated data and flexible criteria. Yet these tools often depend on federal grants now facing elimination. As global temperatures continue to rise, the lack of coordinated, health-driven alerts could leave people — especially the elderly, outdoor workers, and children — vulnerable to conditions that are predictable but still deadly. Without staff or funding, state and local efforts may vanish just as demand grows.
Read more: How rising temperatures are putting children and pregnant women at risk
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture will no longer fund wind or solar energy on farmland, reversing a key rural clean energy program and redirecting support toward biofuels.
In short:
- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the USDA will end funding for wind and solar projects through major rural loan programs, citing the need to protect prime farmland and reduce dependence on Chinese-made solar components.
- Farmers, especially in states like Iowa, have increasingly relied on income from wind and solar to offset falling commodity prices and weather-related crop losses.
- USDA data shows that solar and wind installations occupy only 0.05% of U.S. agricultural land and that farmland typically remains usable after renewable energy development.
Key quote:
“This is such a popular program — it saves them money and gives them a potential financial source. It’s a step backwards for farmers and small businesses that are trying to make decisions that are good for the business and the environment.”
— Richa Patel, policy specialist at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Why this matters:
Farmers across the U.S. face growing economic pressure as climate change disrupts crop yields and commodity prices drop. Leasing land for wind and solar has provided many with a steady income stream that doesn’t rely on planting or weather. Yet the federal government is now pulling support for renewables, while continuing to fund biofuels, which dominate cropland use but offer minimal energy returns and environmental benefits. Despite claims that clean energy projects consume farmland, federal data shows they use a fraction of U.S. agricultural space. This shift could not only reduce clean energy growth in rural areas but also reinforce dependence on polluting fuels.
Read more: Clean energy funding freeze leaves rural farmers in financial limbo
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Wetlands in Belgium are being restored to absorb floods and ease drought, but residents remain divided over whether the projects go far enough to protect their homes and cities.
In short:
- The Sigma Plan, launched after devastating floods in the 1970s, combines dikes, quays, and depoldered flood zones to reduce flood risks while restoring natural river habitats.
- Farmers and residents initially resisted land expropriation but grew more supportive after compensation, public outreach, and new recreational access to wetlands.
- Critics warn that green infrastructure projects in cities like Mechelen may fall short, as new construction and tree loss worsen flooding, drought, and heat.
Key quote:
"Even farmers accepted it over time — mostly because the compensation they received was reasonable, and especially because it was for the greater good."
— Dirk Gorrebeeck, resident of Kruibeke
Why this matters:
As climate change drives heavier rains and longer droughts, flood-prone regions worldwide face a double crisis of too much water and not enough. Wetlands offer a natural buffer, slowing floods like a sponge while replenishing groundwater in dry spells. But urban growth and land-hungry infrastructure projects continue to erase them, replacing absorptive soil with concrete and asphalt that trap heat and funnel water into overwhelmed sewers. The tension between building resilience and fueling urban expansion is not unique to Belgium — it is a global challenge for communities deciding how to live with rivers, rain, and rising seas.
Related: Rebuilding coastlines with nature to hold back the rising seas
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Copyright © 2017 Environmental Health Sciences. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2017 Environmental Health Sciences. All rights reserved.