⏲️ This month’s edition contains approximately 850 words (just over a two minute read).

The University of Alabama is seeking its next Executive Director of the Alabama Water Institute.

This role will lead a nationally recognized water research enterprise, where interdisciplinary science, academic programs, federal and industry collaborations, and translational impact come together to advance water-related opportunities at the local, national, and global levels.

The Executive Director will provide vision and leadership for AWI and its research entities, while strengthening collaboration across UA and its partners.

Located alongside the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Water Center and the U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility, AWI has a central role in advancing research, technology, and workforce development in water.

We are looking for a leader who can build on this momentum, expand collaborations, and continue positioning AWI as a national hub for water solutions.

Eligible candidates are encouraged to apply through the appropriate track. Candidates seeking a faculty appointment as a professor of practice, please use the faculty link. Candidates seeking a professional staff appointment may apply using the professional staff link.

A new research program is bringing three distinct projects to working landscapes in the Southeast, focusing on aquifer modeling, on-farm rivercane restoration and underground root mapping to advance the science of natural erosion control and watershed protection.

The World Meteorological Organization estimated an 80% likelihood of an El Niño event from June to August 2026 and likely to persist into 2027. The Global Water Security Center analyzed historical patterns and global forecast models to assess the potential ripple effects on staple crop yields and food prices around the world.

Curious to see which regions stand to gain and which face risk?

Turkmenistan receives almost all of its water from sources outside its borders, leaving the desert nation's agriculture, oil and gas industries and millions of livelihoods vulnerable to upstream dams, drought and shrinking shared reserves across Central Asia.

What happens to a nation when its water comes from somewhere else?

Tajikistan holds the headwaters of the Amu Darya River, a lifeline for millions of people in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan downstream. A new cooperative water-sharing agreement offers hope, but rising geopolitical tensions and looming changes to weather patterns leave long-term water security uncertain for the region.

Can cooperation hold as the water and the tensions both rise?

With 232 registered attendees, 64 research posters and 25 lightning talks, the 2026 CIROH Developers Conference highlighted the growing national community working to advance operational water prediction and decision support.

Want a closer look at what's moving water prediction forward?

Dr. Jim Nelson, professor of civil and construction engineering at Brigham Young University, discusses hydroinformatics and its role in moving water research into real-world use.

A pioneer in geospatial hydrologic modeling and visualization, Nelson shares how tools like the Watershed Modeling System, Tethys Platform and GEOGLOWS have helped engineers, hydrologists and decision-makers better understand water systems around the world.

He also talks about the importance of collaboration, the future of AI in hydrology and why impactful research begins with understanding the problem people need to solve.

The CRIMSON Water Research Program Director oversees the daily administration of the program. The director will serve as a scientific and/or research ambassador across Alabama and the region to enhance preparedness, resilience and response to water related challenges. Develops new consulting and research opportunities that support communities, agencies and stakeholders in addressing floods, droughts and sustainable land and water management needs. They will shape the CRIMSON Water strategic approach to land and water resource preservation, integrating scientific research with community priorities and collaboration.

The Hydrologic Scientist I is responsible for research, coordination, integration and stakeholder outreach activities that will complement NOAA’s national efforts on low-flow information and service delivery and to serve as a Regional Drought Information Coordinator for the Southeast Drought Early Warning System, or DEWS.

Deciding where to build The University of Alabama campus nearly two centuries ago was influenced by the presence of a water source called Marr's Spring. Today, UA is at the center of water research advancing science, technology and policy to create a more secure and sustainable water future for the nation and the world.

Curious about UA's journey from being shaped by a critical water resource to building a critical water research community?