Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions
Hydroelectric Dam Inspected by Engineer - credit iStock.com/doranjclark
iStock.com/doranjclark
ISSUE

Environmental Data and Analysis

One of the primary objectives of the Nicholas Institute is the collection of robust and accurate data, and the scientific analysis of that data. The Institute has several projects that focus on such work, including the Internet of Water, an endeavor to share and integrate water data that are used to inform decision-making and improve outcomes for sustainability; the Reservoir series, dedicated to discerning how well U.S. Army Corps of Engineer reservoirs follow guide curves; and a study of hydraulic fracturing that examines potential risks to water and wastewater used throughout each stage of the process. 

Additionally, the Rhodes Information Initiative at Duke (Rhodes iiD), in partnership with Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, offers Climate+, a vertical within Rhodes iiD’s Data+ program, a full-time, ten-week summer research experience for Duke students of all class years and majors. Climate+ is aligned with Duke’s commitment to advancing interdisciplinary understanding of climate change’s causes and societal impacts and to identifying sustainable solutions, including climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. This summer’s Climate+ teams will work on diverse topics, including electricity consumption, wetland carbon emissions, climate change’s impacts on river and ocean ecosystems, and the use of remote sensing data to inform climate strategies.

Projects

A view of a lake behind a dam.

Internet of Water Coalition

The water data infrastructure in the United States is antiquated and increasingly inadequate for 21st-century water challenges. While water data have been collected by federal, state, and local agencies for decades, much of this data is not open—meaning discoverable, accessible, and usable. Because of this, we are often unable to answer basic questions about our river basins and aquifers in a timely way.

Water Affordability - image water treatment plant credit iStock/pamspix

Water Affordability

Water services are essential to the health and well-being of every community, from providing safe, reliable drinking water to removing and treating wastewater to managing the flow of stormwater.

Aerial photo of John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir

Reservoirs

The majority of United States reservoirs were constructed when climate was thought to be unchanging and past precipitation and temperatures were reliable for predicting future conditions. Because much of the United States relies on reservoirs for hydropower, water supply, and protection from floods, it is critical to rethink how to manage reservoirs in a changing world.

Chattanooga dam by pexels.com/@mike-stazio-1179532

Aspen-Nicholas Water Forum

The Aspen-Nicholas Water Forum, convened annually by the Aspen Institute’s Energy and Environment Program and Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, serves as a platform for addressing domestic water challenges in the 21st century.

Students convening at Climate+ event

Climate+

The Climate+ program is a full-time, ten-week summer research experience in which small teams of Duke undergraduates and graduate students explore new data-driven approaches addressing climate challenges.

Hydraulic fracturing, image credit iStock.com/grandriver

Unconventional Oil and Gas Development

The rapid growth of unconventional oil and gas, also referred to as hydraulic fracturing, transformed the energy landscape. New areas became sites of energy extraction, such as the Marcellus Shale Play in Pennsylvania and the Bakken Play in North Dakota.