A study published in PNAS highlights the unpredictability of the impacts of climate change on water resources by comparing detailed simulations in mountain areas of Chile and Nepal. Authors Silvan Ragettli, Walter W. Immerzeel, and Francesca Pellicciotti study the response of river flows to a significant decline in glacier areas in the Juncal catchment of Chile and the Langtang catchment of Nepal at higher spatiotemporal resolutions than any previous study.

I remember the first time I made the four-day trek into the heart of Bolivia’s Carrasco National Park (CNP) 12 years ago like it was yesterday. I knew it would be a challenge to help communities agree on the boundaries of the protected area, given the high level of tension between indigenous communities, illegal migrant farmers, and park authorities over land rights, but I was unprepared for just how intense our first meeting would be.

Maternal and fetal health is at the forefront of concerns about the spread of Zika. The fetal brain defects known to be linked to the virus are devastating – and may only be the tip of the iceberg in terms of the virus’s impact, according to a panel of high level U.S. government officials speaking at the Wilson Center on May 24.

At 1.8 billion strong, the current generation of 10 to 24 year olds is the largest in human history. Approximately 90 percent of these adolescents live in less developed countries. This poses an unprecedented challenge for health systems and social policies which largely struggle to meet the unique needs of young people, according to a new Lancet commission.

In recent years, the demographic dividend has garnered enormous traction in African policy circles, and leaders and policymakers have begun to see it as a strategy for achieving their economic growth targets.

Last month, the world came to Copenhagen to focus on how to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for girls and women. The Women Deliver Conference, the largest gathering on girls’ and women’s health and rights in the last decade, was a huge success. Convening over 5,700 likeminded people from 169 countries was important to reenergize the movement and inspire action. Preaching to the converted is sometimes important. But now it’s time to focus on those who are not yet converted.

How will the 10 billion people expected to be living on Earth by 2050 obtain sufficient and nutritious food? This is one of the greatest challenges humanity faces. Global food systems must supply enough calories and protein for a growing human population and provide important micronutrients such as iron, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins.

Climate change is expected to affect rural to urban migration and Omar O. Chisari and Sebastian Miller, in a recently released working paper by the Inter-American Development Bank, analyze the various policy options available in two cases: domestic migration to São Paulo, and international migration from Bolivia and Paraguay to Argentina. Migration into cities will impact climate change mitigation strategies.