Yusuf Jameel, PhD

Finance for climate action is growing—however, much of this money is being invested in wealthier nations, while the regions where funds are needed most are often overlooked and underfunded by both public and private institutions. The good news for funders is that there are climate solutions that not only significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also create cascading social and public health benefits for communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis. For those looking to get the… Show more

Finance for climate action is growing—however, much of this money is being invested in wealthier nations, while the regions where funds are needed most are often overlooked and underfunded by both public and private institutions. The good news for funders is that there are climate solutions that not only significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also create cascading social and public health benefits for communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis. For those looking to get the biggest return on their investment—for both people and planet—we offer two particularly promising solutions: ramp up funding for clean cooking and electricity where they matter most. Show less

The landmakr report provides concrete evidence of how climate solutions can also be win-win opportunities for meeting development and human well-being needs while boosting prosperity for rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

As floods continue to wreak more havoc each passing monsoon, it is time for India to lead the way in effective flood management.

Background: It is unknown if COVID-19 will exhibit seasonal pattern as other diseases e.g., seasonal influenza. Similarly, some environmental factors (e.g., temperature, humidity) have been shown to be associated with transmission of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, but global data on their association with COVID-19 are scarce. Objective: To examine the association between climatic factors and COVID-19. Methods: We used multilevel mixed-effects (two-level random-intercepts) negative binomial regression… Show more

Background: It is unknown if COVID-19 will exhibit seasonal pattern as other diseases e.g., seasonal influenza. Similarly, some environmental factors (e.g., temperature, humidity) have been shown to be associated with transmission of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, but global data on their association with COVID-19 are scarce. Objective: To examine the association between climatic factors and COVID-19. Methods: We used multilevel mixed-effects (two-level random-intercepts) negative binomial regression models to examine the association between 7- and 14-day-lagged temperature, humidity (relative and absolute), wind speed and UV index and COVID-19 cases, adjusting for Gross Domestic Products, Global Health Security Index, cloud cover (%), precipitation (mm), sea-level air-pressure (mb), and daytime length. The effects estimates are reported as adjusted rate ratio (aRR) and their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Data from 206 countries/regions (until April 20, 2020) with ≥100 reported cases showed no association between COVID-19 cases and 7-day-lagged temperature, relative humidity, UV index, and wind speed, after adjusting for potential confounders, but a positive association with 14-day-lagged temperature and a negative association with 14-day-lagged wind speed. Compared to an absolute humidity of <5 g/m3, an absolute humidity of 5–10 g/m3 was associated with a 23% (95% CI: 6–42%) higher rate of COVID-19 cases, while absolute humidity >10 g/m3 did not have a significant effect. These findings were robust in the 14-day-lagged analysis. Conclusion: Our results of higher COVID-19 cases (through April 20) at absolute humidity of 5–10 g/m3 may be suggestive of a ‘sweet point’ for viral transmission, however only controlled laboratory experiments can decisively prove it. Show less

Every year a large portion of the Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra (IGB) Basin, home to approximately 1 billion people, is flooded during the monsoon season. In this letter we highlight how construction of embankments along the Kosi River- a river prone to yearly flooding- have increased flood related damages in the state of Bihar, India. We point out the broader consequences of those anthropogenically aggravated flooding events, including a decrease in annual GDP, the persistence of a high-level of… Show more

Every year a large portion of the Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra (IGB) Basin, home to approximately 1 billion people, is flooded during the monsoon season. In this letter we highlight how construction of embankments along the Kosi River- a river prone to yearly flooding- have increased flood related damages in the state of Bihar, India. We point out the broader consequences of those anthropogenically aggravated flooding events, including a decrease in annual GDP, the persistence of a high-level of poverty and increased migration out of the state. We also suggest possible solutions to mitigate flood related damages. In the politically volatile IGB Basin, social and economic upliftment of the people will only be possible through transboundary cooperation and developing sustainable flood management policies. Show less

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has affected millions of people worldwide. The trend of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases is not similar across countries, with several countries experiencing a decrease in the daily reported cases and deaths, while several others are reporting a surge in the daily reported cases and deaths. Studies of prior epidemics1,2 have suggested oscillatory patterns and cyclicity when analyzing long-term (ie, decades) epidemiological data. However… Show more

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has affected millions of people worldwide. The trend of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases is not similar across countries, with several countries experiencing a decrease in the daily reported cases and deaths, while several others are reporting a surge in the daily reported cases and deaths. Studies of prior epidemics1,2 have suggested oscillatory patterns and cyclicity when analyzing long-term (ie, decades) epidemiological data. However, to our knowledge, high-frequency oscillations (ie, weekly) have not been reported during prior epidemics. In this cross-sectional study, we investigate oscillatory patterns in COVID-19 cases and deaths. Show less

Groundwater supplies a significant proportion of water use in the United States and is critical to the maintenance of healthy ecosystems and environmental processes, thus characterizing aquifer hydrology is important to managing and preserving these resources. While groundwater isotopes provide insight into hydrologic and ecologic processes, their application is limited to where measurements exist. To help overcome this limitation, we used the random forest algorithm to develop a predictive… Show more

Groundwater supplies a significant proportion of water use in the United States and is critical to the maintenance of healthy ecosystems and environmental processes, thus characterizing aquifer hydrology is important to managing and preserving these resources. While groundwater isotopes provide insight into hydrologic and ecologic processes, their application is limited to where measurements exist. To help overcome this limitation, we used the random forest algorithm to develop a predictive model for shallow groundwater isotopes in the conterminous United States. Our model uses environmental variables (e.g. temperature, elevation, precipitation isotopes) as predictors. We used our model to develop the first shallow groundwater isoscape of δ2H and δ18O for the conterminous United States. We describe the patterns in groundwater isotopes using both observations and our modelled isoscape. We find that throughout much of the Eastern United States, groundwater isotopes are close to annual amount weighted precipitation, while groundwater isotopes are significantly depleted relative precipitation across much of the High Plains and Western United States. Furthermore, we compare the observations compiled for this study to isotopes of precipitation, which allows us to determine the relative recharge efficiency (i.e. ratio of groundwater recharge to precipitation) between seasons and the proportion of annual recharge that occurs in a given season. Our findings suggest that winter recharge is generally more efficient than summer recharge; however, the dominant recharge season is more varied as it is the product of both seasonal recharge efficiency and the seasonal timing of precipitation. Our results summarize spatial patterns in groundwater isotopes across the conterminous United States, provide insight into the hydrologic processes affecting shallow groundwater, and are valuable information for future ecologic and hydrologic studies. Show less

Pharmaceutical consumption has expanded rapidly during the last century and their persistent presence in the environment has become a major concern. Unfortunately, our understanding of the distribution of pharmaceuticals in surface water and their effects on aquatic biota and public health is limited. Here, we explore patterns in the detection rate of the most frequently studied pharmaceuticals in 64 rivers from 22 countries using bi-clustering algorithms and subsequently analyze the results in… Show more

Pharmaceutical consumption has expanded rapidly during the last century and their persistent presence in the environment has become a major concern. Unfortunately, our understanding of the distribution of pharmaceuticals in surface water and their effects on aquatic biota and public health is limited. Here, we explore patterns in the detection rate of the most frequently studied pharmaceuticals in 64 rivers from 22 countries using bi-clustering algorithms and subsequently analyze the results in the context of regional differences in pharmaceutical consumption habits, social and environmental factors, and removal-efficiency of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). We find that 20% of the pharmaceuticals included in this analysis are pervasively present in all the surface waterbodies. Several pharmaceuticals also display low overall positive detection rates; however, they exhibit significant spatial variability and their detection rates are consistently lower in Western European and North America (WEOG) rivers in comparison to Asian rivers. Our analysis suggests the important role of pharmaceutical consumption and population in governing these patterns, however the role of WWTP efficiency appeared to be limited. We were constrained in our ability to assess the role of hydrology, which most likely also plays an important role in regulating pharmaceuticals in rivers. Most importantly though, we demonstrate the ability of our algorithm to provide probabilistic estimates of the detection rate of pharmaceuticals that were not studied in a river, an exercise that could be useful in prioritizing pharmaceuticals for future study. Show less

Stable isotopes in water have been used extensively over the last several decades for hydrograph separation. The majority of these have been in upland mid-latitude headwater catchments with few studies capturing the dynamics of low-relief lower latitude catchments with minimal seasonal variability in precipitation isotopes. Here, we analyze a long term (~10 years) isotopic and hydrological data collected from three adjacent forested watersheds located at the Savannah River site, South Carolina,… Show more

Stable isotopes in water have been used extensively over the last several decades for hydrograph separation. The majority of these have been in upland mid-latitude headwater catchments with few studies capturing the dynamics of low-relief lower latitude catchments with minimal seasonal variability in precipitation isotopes. Here, we analyze a long term (~10 years) isotopic and hydrological data collected from three adjacent forested watersheds located at the Savannah River site, South Carolina, USA, to understand streamflow dynamics in a, low-relief sub-tropical system. While seasonality in the precipitation signal is low, streamflow response to rainfall differed markedly for the three catchments (named B, C and R). Baseflow was non-existent in R and was low for catchments B and C. Following rain events, streamflow increased substantially in catchments B and C, however for R, a stream response was generated only after intense rain events. We used a Bayesian mixing model to calculate the contribution of the different sources to streamwater. Whereas the differences between B, C and R stream highlights the control of local topography and soil properties on streamflow for each catchment, the lack of isotopic differences between baseflow and storm runoff for each of these catchments suggests little if any hillslope-riparian-stream connection. Through long-term and continuous monitoring of baseflow, ground and riparian water, combined with event based sampling and analyzing the ensuing data within a Bayesian mixing framework, we have calculated the contributions of different endmembers to the stream. Our framework overcomes the previous limitations of dual isotopes and opens a new window on the applicability of isotopes in catchments with minimal seasonality. Show less

We conducted synoptic surveys over three seasons in one year to evaluate the variability in water sources and geochemistry of an urban river with complex water infrastructure in the state of Utah. Using stable isotopes of river water (δ18O and δ2H) within a Bayesian mixing model framework and a separate hydrologic mass balance approach, we quantified both the proportional inputs and magnitude of discharge associated with “natural” (lake, groundwater, and tributary inputs) and “engineered”… Show more

We conducted synoptic surveys over three seasons in one year to evaluate the variability in water sources and geochemistry of an urban river with complex water infrastructure in the state of Utah. Using stable isotopes of river water (δ18O and δ2H) within a Bayesian mixing model framework and a separate hydrologic mass balance approach, we quantified both the proportional inputs and magnitude of discharge associated with “natural” (lake, groundwater, and tributary inputs) and “engineered” (effluent and canal inflows) sources. The relative importance of these major contributors to streamflow varied both spatially and seasonally. Spatiotemporal patterns of dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, calcium, chloride, nitrate, and orthophosphate indicated seasonal shifts in dominant sources of river water played an important role in determining water quality. We show although urban rivers are clearly influenced by novel water sources created by water infrastructure, they continue to reflect the imprint of “natural” water sources, including diffuse groundwater. Resource managers thus may need to account for the quantity of both surface waters and also historically overlooked groundwater inputs to address water quality concerns in urban rivers. Show less

Public water supply systems (PWSS) are critical infrastructure that is vulnerable to contamination and physical disruption. Exploring susceptibility of PWSS to such perturbations requires detailed knowledge of supply system structure and operation. The physical structure of the distribution system (i.e., pipeline connections) and basic information on sources are documented for most industrialized metropolises. Yet, most information on PWSS function comes from hydrodynamic models that are seldom… Show more

Public water supply systems (PWSS) are critical infrastructure that is vulnerable to contamination and physical disruption. Exploring susceptibility of PWSS to such perturbations requires detailed knowledge of supply system structure and operation. The physical structure of the distribution system (i.e., pipeline connections) and basic information on sources are documented for most industrialized metropolises. Yet, most information on PWSS function comes from hydrodynamic models that are seldom validated using observational data. In developing regions, the issue may be exasperated as information regarding the physical structure of the PWSS may be incorrect, incomplete, undocumented, or difficult to obtain in many cities. Here, we present a novel application of stable isotopes in water (SIW) to quantify the contribution of different water sources, identify static and dynamic regions (e.g., regions supplied chiefly by one source vs. those experiencing active mixing between multiple sources), and reconstruct basic flow patterns in a large and complex PWSS. Our analysis, based on a Bayesian mixing model framework, uses basic information on the SIW and production volumes of sources but requires no information on pipeline connections in the system. Our work highlights the ability of stable isotopes in water to analyze PWSS and document aspects of supply system structure and operation that can otherwise be challenging to observe. This method could allow water managers to document spatiotemporal variation in flow patterns within PWSS, validate hydrodynamic model results, track pathways of contaminant propagation, optimize water supply operation, and help monitor and enforce water rights. Show less

The research reports new data documenting spatiotemporal variation in the tap water isotope ratios across Salt Lake City, Utah, USA which offers a new perspective on the use of isotopic tracers to study water management systems at the scale of cities and neighborhoods. Our data demonstrate that simple isotopic measurements bear the imprint of active management of water from multiple sources within the complex network of infrastructure and entities that control the public water supply of the… Show more

The research reports new data documenting spatiotemporal variation in the tap water isotope ratios across Salt Lake City, Utah, USA which offers a new perspective on the use of isotopic tracers to study water management systems at the scale of cities and neighborhoods. Our data demonstrate that simple isotopic measurements bear the imprint of active management of water from multiple sources within the complex network of infrastructure and entities that control the public water supply of the semi-arid study area. In addition to uncovering and interpreting this signal of distribution system structure, we are able to establish links between water provided in different parts of the area and water source, quantify changing environmental impacts on evaporative losses from the supply system, and identify patterns linking water supply characteristics with socioeconomic variables. Together, the analyses reported in the paper establish a basis for the use of water isotopes to study, assess, and monitor water management within cities, with utility for academic research and management, regulation, and forensic applications. Show less