Water resources articles from across Nature Portfolio

Monitoring the presence of antimicrobials in the environment is essential to understand and tackle the rise of antimicrobial resistance. An extensive investigation of antimicrobials in wastewater treatment facilities across Australia reveals a direct correlation with various socioeconomic factors.

The volume of research on transboundary rivers and management in the global south is disproportionately small compared to river basin population size, water withdrawals, and consumption, according to an analysis of 4713 case studies using machine learning and desk review.

Efforts to address the water challenges that societies face are hindered by a lack of funding and ineffective implementation, as well as poor understanding of the causes. Adopting a beyond growth framing, this Perspective reflects on the responses needed to mitigate water crises around the world.

We have the tools and solutions we need to address shared water challenges in a changing climate; however, we lack the political will to implement them through effective cooperation.

Monitoring the presence of antimicrobials in the environment is essential to understand and tackle the rise of antimicrobial resistance. An extensive investigation of antimicrobials in wastewater treatment facilities across Australia reveals a direct correlation with various socioeconomic factors.

Sanitation could evolve beyond its traditional focus on public health and environmental protection to address broader challenges. A portfolio approach is proposed, integrating diverse systems at various scales to optimize benefits including economic value, resource efficiency, climate resilience and human dignity.

Sustainable water management relies on water infrastructure that encompasses artificial structures and natural ecosystems, along with the cooperation of people and various organizations.

Plastics pollution, persistent chemical contamination and inadequately treated wastewater are three key aspects that hinder access to safe and affordable water for all. This Comment argues that a strong priority on pollution avoidance, research for remediation, and tighter regulation and monitoring must be implemented to make progress.

The increasing demand for lithium has exposed the challenges of current extraction technologies in meeting sustainability goals. Now, a nanofiltration technique enables direct lithium extraction from salt-lake brines with high efficiency, effective magnesium/lithium separation, and reduced environmental impact.