Publications

A selected list follows:

• Sandra Postel, “Water Infrastructure Needs to Change,” MIT Technology Review, Vol 125, No. 1: 73-75, Jan-Feb 2022.
• Sandra Postel, “Marjorie Spock: An Unsung Hero in the Fight Against DDT and in the Rise of the Modern Environmental Movement,” The Nassau County Historical Society Journal, Vol 75: 2020, pp. 1-19. Click here to access this article through the Rachel Carson Council website.
• Sandra Postel, The Water Cycle is Broken, but We Can Fix It, Trend, Spring 2019.
• Sandra Postel, We Must Fix the Broken Water Cycle Before it Dooms Civilization — Again, Quartz, January 23, 2018.
• Kate A. Brauman, Brian Richter, Sandra Postel, Marcus Malsy, Martina Florke. Water Depletion: An Improved Metric for Incorporating Seasonal and Dry-Year Water Scarcity into Water-Risk Assessments, Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene 3:000083; doi: 10.12952/journal.elementa.000083, January 20, 2016.
• Sandra Postel and Val Fishman, Change the Course: Lessons from a Water Stewardship Movement,” GreenBiz, September 10, 2015.
• Sandra Postel, Todd Reeve and Christian McGuigan, Change the Course: A New Model of Freshwater Conservation and Restoration, Solutions Vol. 5, Issue 4, pp. 28-34, January 2015.
• J. Rockstrom, M. Falkenmark, T. Allan, C. Folke, L. Gordon, A. Jagerskog, M. Kummu, M. Lannerstad, M. Meybeck, D. Molden, S. Postel, H.H.G. Savenije, U. Svedin, A. Turton and O. Varis. The Unfolding Water Drama in the Anthropocene: Towards a Resilience-Based Perspective on Water for Global Sustainability. Ecohydrology 7, 1249-1261 (2014).
• Jennifer A. Burney, Rosamond L. Naylor, and Sandra L. Postel, The case for distributed irrigation as a development priority in sub-Saharan Africa, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, page(s): doi/10.1073/pnas.12035971
  July 24, 2013.
• Postel, Sandra. 2013. Sustaining Freshwater and Its Dependents, pages 51-62 in Linda Starke, Ed., State of the World 2013: Is Sustainability Still Possible?,Washington, D.C., Island Press.
• Postel, Sandra L. 2011. Foreward–Sharing the Benefits of Water. Hydrological Sciences Journal 56 (4): 529-30.
• Postel, Sandra L. 2011.  Getting More Crop Per Drop, pages 39-48 in Linda Starke, ed., State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet.  New York, W.W. Norton.
• Postel, Sandra. 2010. Water: Adapting to a New Normal, in Richard Heinberg and Daniel Lerch, eds., The Post Carbon Reader: Managing the 21st Century’s Sustainability Crises. Watershed Media/University of California Press.
• Postel, Sandra. 2010. Honest Hope, in Irena Salina, ed., Written in Water, Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Books.
• Richter, B.D., Postel, S., Revenga, C., Scudder, T., Lehner, B.,Churchill, A., Chow, M. 2010. Lost in Development’s Shadow: The Downstream Human Consequences of Dams. Water Alternatives 3(2): 14-42.
• Postel, Sandra. Water: Will There Be Enough? Yes! The Water Solutions Issue, Summer, 2010.
• Palmer, M. A.; Lettenmaier, D. P.; Poff, N. L; Postel, S. L.; Richter, B.; Warner, R. 2009. Climate Change and River Ecosystems: Protection and Adaptation Options, Environmental Management, DOI 10.1007/s00267-009-9329-1.
• Sandra Postel, Who Will Export Tomorrow’s Virtual Water? in The Truth About Water Wars, Seed Magazine, May 14, 2009.
• Postel, Sandra, Water for Life, Guest Editorial, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, March 2009.
• Postel, Sandra. The Missing Piece: A Water Ethic, The American Prospect, Special Report: The Global Freshwater Crisis, June 2008.
• Postel, Sandra. The Forgotten Infrastructure: Safeguarding Freshwater Ecosystems, Journal of International Affairs, Spring-Summer 2008.
• Postel, Sandra. In Harmony with Earth’s Water Cycle, in The Way We Will Be 50 Years from Today: 60 of the World’s Greatest Minds Share their Vision of the Next Half Century, Mike Wallace, ed., Thomas Nelson, 2008.
• Postel, Sandra. Ecological Infrastructure: The Mounting Price and Risk of Neglect, IMPACT, publication of the American Water Resources Association, March 2008.
• Postel, Sandra. China’s Unquenchable Thirst, World Watch, November/December 2007.
• Postel, Sandra. Sharing the River Out of Eden, Natural History, November 2007.
• Postel, Sandra. How a White Dolphin Sounded a Global Alarm, Science & Spirit, July 2007.
• Postel, Sandra. 2007. Aquatic Ecosystem Protection and Drinking Water Utilities, Journal AWWA 99:2 (February): 52-63.
• Postel, Sandra, 2006. To Save a Sturgeon, The Nature Conservancy.
• Diamond, J.M. et al. 2006. Amici Curiae Scientists Brief, submitted to U.S. Supreme Court in Rapanos and Carabell cases (January 12).
• Postel, S. L. 2006. For Our Thirsty World, Efficiency or Else (book review), Science 313:1046-1047.
• Postel, Sandra. 2005. From the Headwaters to the Sea: The Critical Need to Protect Freshwater Ecosystems. Environment (December).
• Postel, Sandra. 2005. Thirst and Abundance in the Twenty-First Century: The Politics of Water. Spoken Words: Notable Speeches and Remarks, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts.
• Postel, Sandra. 2005. Nature’s Squeeze – Man’s Response: Distinctions Between Natural and Not-So-Natural Disasters. Christian Science Monitor, (September 7).
• Postel, Sandra. 2005. Liquid Assets: The Critical Need to Safeguard Freshwater Ecosystems, (Washington, D.C.: Worldwatch Institute).
• Postel, Sandra and Barton H. Thompson, Jr. 2005. Watershed Protection: Capturing the Benefits of Nature’s Water Supply Services. Natural Resources Forum (May).
• Postel, Sandra and Amy Vickers. 2004. Boosting Water Productivity. Pages 46-65 in Worldwatch Institute, State of the World 2004 (New York: W.W. Norton).
• Postel, S. 2004. Freshwater Quality, Use, and Protection, In The ECO Guide to Making a Difference (Washington, D.C.: Island Press).
• Richter, Brian and Sandra Postel. 2004. Saving the Earth’s Rivers. Issues in Science and Technology (Spring).
• Postel, Sandra. 2003. Give Rivers Room to Heal. Christian Science Monitor (November 20).
• Postel, Sandra. 2003. Hydro Dynamics. Natural History (May).
• Postel, Sandra. 2003. Securing Water for People, Crops, and Ecosystems: New Mindset and New Priorities. Natural Resources Forum (May).
• Postel, S. 2001. Troubled Waters. In E.O. Wilson and B. Bilger, eds. Best American Science and Nature Writing (Houghton Mifflin).
• Postel, Sandra and Aaron Wolf. 2001. Dehydrating Conflict. Foreign Policy (Sept-October).
• Postel, Sandra. 2001. Growing More Food with Less Water. Scientific American (February).
• Postel, S.L., P. Polak, F. Gonzales, and J. Keller. 2001. Drip Irrigation for Small Farmers: A New Initiative to Alleviate Hunger and Poverty. Water International Vol. 26, No. 1: 3-13.
• Postel, Sandra. 2000. Entering an Era of Water Scarcity: The Challenges Ahead. Ecological Applications 10 (4): 941-948.
• Postel, Sandra L. 1998. Water for Food Production: Will There Be Enough in 2025? BioScience (August).
• Postel, S. L., J I. Morrison, and P.H. Gleick, 1998. Reallocating Fresh Water to Aquatic Ecosystems: The Case of the Colorado River Delta. Water International (September).
• Postel, S. and S. Carpenter. 1997. Freshwater Ecosystem Services. In G. C. Daily, ed., Nature’s Services: Societal Dependence on Natural Ecosystems (Washington, D.C.: Island Press).
• Postel, S. 1997. Dividing the Waters. Technology Review (April).
• Postel, S., G. C. Daily, and P. R. Ehrlich. 1996. Human Appropriation of Renewable Fresh Water. Science 271 (February 9): 785-788.
• Postel, S. 1996. Dividing the Waters: Food Security, Ecosystem Health, and the New Politics of Scarcity (Washington, D.C.: Worldwatch Institute).
• Postel, S. 1995. Where Have All the Rivers Gone? World Watch (May-June).
• Postel, S. 1994. Carrying Capacity: Earth’s Bottom Line, Challenge (March-April).
• Postel, S. 1993. Water and Agriculture, in P. H. Gleick, ed., Water in Crisis: A Guide to the World’s Fresh Water Resources (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
• Postel S. 1992. Denial in the Decisive Decade, in Lester R. Brown et al., State of the World 1992 (New York: W.W. Norton).
• Postel, S. 1989. Water for Agriculture: Facing the Limits (Washington, D.C.: Worldwatch Institute).
• Postel, S. 1985. Conserving Water: The Untapped Alternative (Washington, D.C.: Worldwatch Institute). .
• Postel, S. 1985. Thirsty in a Water-Rich World, International Wildlife (November/December).
• Postel, S. 1984. Water: Rethinking Management in an Age of Scarcity (Washington, D.C.: Worldwatch Institute).