As UN peacekeeping evolves to navigate new and seemingly insurmountable realities including intra-state wars and transnational crime, it is important to acknowledge recent studies demonstrating how the UN can help reduce overall conflict rates, protect hundreds of thousands of civilians, and gradually tip the scales in favour of peace.

New UNU research concludes that when it comes to water research, the publish or perish philosophy that drives many researchers must take second place to the goal of on-the-ground results, especially in the developing world.

With concerted planning, cooperation, and governance, digital technologies could rapidly accelerate progress on overcoming the world’s most pressing development challenges.

With half of Yemen’s population threatened by starvation, cholera, and malnutrition, the catastrophe demands pragmatic coordination among states, international organisations, civil society, charities, and individuals.

With rising freshwater demand driving operation of 16,000 desalination plants in 177 countries, we must address the impacts and management of the 140 million cubic meters of hypersaline, chemical-laden brine that is produced every day.

If cost-effective technologies are available to remove arsenic in groundwater, then why do tens of millions of people still fall ill to this chronic problem?

It’s time for an honest re-assessment of the state of education worldwide in order to embrace technology-enhanced learning, promote both technical and soft skill development, and achieve a mindset of lifelong, agile training that can tackle an uncertain future of work.

To tackle the water quality data gap, extensive government water monitoring networks could shift to additionally gather project data through citizen-led monitoring activities.

If governments do not embrace unconventional water resources, achieving SDG 6 will be as difficult as getting water from a stone — and the consequences for water-scarce regions will be dire.

World Water Day 2018 is a reminder that global water security will not be achieved through business-as-usual approaches, and will depend on efforts to use and expand nature-based solutions.

The potential to achieve Sustainable Development Goal water targets will depend on a hybrid of technologies that improve water measurements and data underpinning indicators of progress.

For decades, China has successfully implemented afforestation programmes to counter desertification. But, while planting more trees will reduce erosion, it is also worsening China’s water crisis.

At the two-year mark of the Sustainable Development Goals, a new policy support system provides authoritative evidence to help governments set clear paths to achieving water-related targets.

The Sendai Framework, while falling short of expectations on many fronts, took some important steps towards integrating lessons from the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Experiences from Fukushima show that providing channels for public participation and dialogue is a crucial first step towards ensuring a sustainable recovery for communities impacted by complex disasters.

Knowing how key resilience is following a disaster, small-scale fishers of Japan’s Tohoku region offer support to Chile’s artisanal fishers impacted by a recent tsunami.

The Ministry of the Environment of Japan and UNU collaborate to produce a video documentary about the decontamination efforts in areas affected by radiation from the Fukushima nuclear accident.

Documentary filmmaker Kaori Brand reflects on the experience of producing this 30-minute video on the recovery efforts of the fishing communities hit by the March 2011 tsunami.

The resilience demonstrated by communities in Japan’s Tohoku region may be one of the best modern-day lessons on what the rest of the world can do to prepare for disasters and the consequences of climate change.