Water is our focus.
Water is the central focus of our research and the support we offer to faculty members at The University of Alabama. It plays a vital role in sustaining our lives and ecosystems. It is a finite and essential resource, and its availability and quality are increasingly threatened by climate change, population growth, pollution and overuse. AWI’s transdisciplinary research into water resources, management and conservation is necessary to understand complex hydrological systems and to develop sustainable solutions to manage and protect water resources for present and future generations.
Research Entities
Global Water Security Center
The Global Water Security Center leverages cutting-edge science to deliver critical water and environmental security insights to key decision-makers and provides reliable tools and analysis to support national water security interests.
CIROH
CIROH is a one-of-a-kind partnership between The University of Alabama, NOAA and the National Weather Service, aimed at revolutionizing U.S. water forecasting through collaboration among 28 institutions.
CONSERVE
CONSERVE draws on The University of Alabama’s wide-ranging interdisciplinary expertise to address biodiversity and watershed management challenges through community-centered research.
Research News
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From Anthropology Student to CONSERVE Storyteller
Ekaterina Menkina, a University of Alabama anthropology student, had never touched professional filming equipment before. However, the Alabama Water Institute’s CONSERVE Research Group took a chance on her in 2024, handing over professional-grade camera equipment and trusting her to document ancient pictographs 800 miles from Tuscaloosa. “I saw the words ‘creative’ and ‘art,’ and I…
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CONSERVE Future Ecologies Lab Brings Advanced DNA Analysis to UA
A process that once required two full days of hands-on work by a researcher and graduate student now takes about an hour. The Alabama Water Institute’s Equipment Support Program recently helped fund a Thermo Scientific KingFisher Apex for its CONSERVE Future Ecologies lab. The state-of-the-art genomics platform automates the extraction of DNA, RNA and proteins from plants,…
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CIROH Showcases National Leadership in Water Prediction Research at AGU25
CIROH showcased national leadership at the 2025 AGU Meeting, contributing to more than 30 sessions on flood prediction, AI-enabled modeling, community water science and workforce development. CIROH researchers highlighted advances in next-generation water prediction systems while engaging global audiences on research to operations, collaboration and societal impact.
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CONSERVE Expands Tribal Network for Rivercane Database
AWI’s CONSERVE team is working with tribal partners across 12 states to map rivercane and build a traits database that supports both ecosystem restoration and cultural traditions. Their recent presentation in Florida highlighted how the project strengthens conservation and tribal heritage.
Publications & Media
WaterWorks Seminar
AWI holds a monthly seminar series called WaterWorks: Conversations at the Intersection of Water, Science and Society.
Annual Report
AWI’s Annual Report highlights a year of progress in advancing water science, technology and policy.
Our Impact
$34M Total FY24 Extramural Funds
$520K Research Support Provided
46 Employees
34 New Research Projects
159 Affiliated Papers Published
696 Research Presentations
23 Students Attending Summer Institute
11 Students Joining NRT
9 Students in First REU
224K Social Media Impressions
26K Social Media Engagements