Urban Environment Lab

Today's Research on the Challenges of Sustainable Development

The current social context surrounding climate change is ushering in a new era of land use, planning, and development, one that reconsiders the role of natural disasters, natural resources, and environmental impacts on the communities in which we live. The Urban Environment Lab engages students, policy-makers, and research partners in collaborative projects and discussions on the determinants of hazard vulnerability, community resilience, sustainable development, and infrastructure adaptation at the intersection of the natural, social, and built environments.

As Climate Change Exacerbates Extreme Weather, Olive Oil Feels the Squeeze March 24, 2026
Intensifying droughts and extreme heatwaves are having a profound impact on olive quality, quantity and price, according to recent research.
Guest
Centering Community in Climate Resilience and Disaster Preparedness March 23, 2026
M.S. in Climate student Allison Karabu reflects on the importance of community-based initiatives and finding the right questions to ask to effect real change.
Columbia Climate School
New Study Reveals Hidden “Chemical Currency” Fueling the Ocean’s Carbon Cycle March 20, 2026
This research identifies a diverse set of molecules released by marine phytoplankton that fuel microbial life and help drive Earth’s carbon cycle.
Columbia Climate School
These Glacier Guardians Are Women March 19, 2026
From a photography exhibit of a high-mountain community in the Peruvian Andes to leading research by Columbia scientists, a recent panel celebrated the knowledge and work of women in and around glaciers.
Guest
Climate Finance Has Failed Africa Twice Over. Here’s How To Fix It. March 18, 2026
Credit-rating methodologies must stop treating poverty as a self-fulfilling proxy for default risk.
Guest

Urban Environment Lab

Today's Research on the Challenges of Sustainable Development

State of the Planet