Top 50 water blogs 2013

Post publicat al blog de Donna Vincent Roa, “Speaking up about water”, el passat 31 de desembre de 2013.

Who’s Speaking Up About Water?
Recently, it has been estimated that there is over 500 million blogs on the web. We wondered just how many of those blogs focused on water. Now, while we couldn’t access and review every single blog in the world that focused on water, we did our best to find the top 250. In October 2013, we began our search and set a goal to find and assess about 200 to 250 blogs to determine who’s speaking up about water and to compile the inaugural Top 50 Water Blogs 2013 list.

About the Evaluation Method
In this exercise, the evaluation team examined over 250 blogs. From this initial evaluation, we compiled a second round list of 124 blogs. To get to this number, the team created a spreadsheet and evaluated each site on its Alexa rankings, website traffic statistics, online buzz, search authority, frequency of posts, and comments. We used Alexa, Compete, Quantcast, Bizinformation and Urltrends to inform the evaluation. In the first review of the 124 blogs, we culled the blogs – 32 of them – that did not have regular posts within the last 30 days. That left us with 92 blogs. Of these, once again, the team reviewed the stats and culled the list to 55 blogs. From these, we chose the top 50. Once the final 50 were chosen, an additional evaluation was done to determine the top six blogs in two additional categories: 1) design and brand excellence and 2) content excellence. Here are the results. In addition to this text list, you can also view the full gallery of Top 50 Water Blogs.

Brand Excellence Category
The top six in the Brand Excellence category are: 1) Water Canada, 2) World Bank’s The Water Blog, 3) Nestle’s Water Challenge, 4) Philadelphia Water Department’s Watersheds Blog, 5) Blood: Water Mission and 6) Alternet’s Water.

Content Excellence Category
The top six in the content excellence category are: 1) Circle of Blue, 2) National Geographic’s Water Currents, 3) World Bank’s The Water Blog, 4) Water Canada, 5) Water Online and 6) WaterWired.

Top Water Blogs 2013

1. Water Currents (National Geographic)
The goal of Water Currents is to bring together diverse voices to discuss pressing issues in freshwater. We are particularly interested in water consumption, locally and globally, and restoration and conservation of freshwater ecosystems. This blog is hosted by Sandra Postel, Freshwater Fellow with National Geographic and Director of the Global Water Policy Project.

2. It’s Our Environment: EPA’s Blog About Our World – Greenversations
This blog is written by EPA employees (and occasional guests) about the things they bring to their jobs every day. It’s an official blog of the USEPA.

3. The Water Blog
The World Bank Group has two ambitious goals: End extreme poverty within a generation and boost shared prosperity. The Water Blog is an official blog of the World Bank. Water related articles, views and news were posted from every regions of the World. Near about 50 articles were posted on 2013. The articles address different events on water, sanitation, climate change, innovative ideas to manage rural water supply etc.

4. Charity: Water
Charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

5. Oceana
Oceana, founded in 2001, is the largest international organization focused solely on ocean conservation.

6. AlterNet
AlterNet is an award-winning news magazine and online community that creates original journalism and amplifies the best of hundreds of other independent media sources. AlterNet’s aim is to inspire action and advocacy on the environment, human rights and civil liberties, social justice, media, health care issues, and more. Since its inception in 1998, AlterNet.org has grown dramatically to keep pace with the public demand for independent news.

7. Good and Water Watch
Food & Water Watch works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainably produced.

8. Water.org
Co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White, Water.org is a nonprofit organization that has transformed hundreds of communities in Africa, South Asia, and Central America by providing access to safe water and sanitation.

9. Portland Water Bureau
Portland’s water system has been in place since 1895. The Portland Water Bureau’s mission is to provide the highest quality water, customer service and stewardship of the critical infrastructure, fiscal, and natural resources entrusted to our care. They enhance public health and safety and contribute to the economic viability and livability of the Portland metropolitan region. The “Water Blog” is intended to serve as a mechanism for communication between the public and the Portland Water Bureau.

10. International Rivers
Since 1985, International Rivers has been at the heart of the global struggle to protect rivers and the rights of communities that depend on them. They work with an international network of dam-affected people, grassroots organizations, environmentalists, human rights advocates and others who are committed to stopping destructive river projects and promoting better options.

11. Living Water International
Living Water International exists to demonstrate the love of God by helping communities acquire desperately needed clean water, and to experience “living water”—the gospel of Jesus Christ—which alone satisfies the deepest thirst.

12. American Water
American Water, through its subsidiaries, provides high-quality water and wastewater services to approximately 14 million people in more than 30 states, as well as parts of Canada. Their professionals are committed to customer service, operational excellence and the delivery of high-quality, reliable drinking water, safe and effective wastewater treatment and release and other water-related management services.

13. Water Use it Wisely
The Water — Use It Wisely campaign was launched in 1999 to promote an ongoing water conservation ethic among Arizona’s rapidly growing population.

14. The River Blog
For nearly forty years, American Rivers has fought to preserve and protect America’s rivers and streams, seeing the more than 150,000 miles of waterways it has preserved as a connection to future generations. Staff members contribute to American Rivers’ blog, detailing legislation that impacts America’s rivers, as well as efforts to clean up polluted waterways. One unique feature of American Rivers’ blog is the ability to filter articles by issue or region, so if someone is interested in learning about issues happening in their region of the U.S., they can pull up all blogs about that particular region.

15. Sciblog
Sciblogs brings together the best science bloggers in the country on one website, creating a hub for scientific analysis and discussion and facilitating reader interaction. The website is for scientists who want to reach out to a general audience to explain their science and how it relates to society. Some Sciblog contributors spend most of their time in the lab or buried in research. Others are authors or entrepreneurs. All of them know what they are talking about and have an interest in engaging in discussion on the big science-related issues facing society.

16. Water Online
Water Online is the leading source of technical information and thought leadership for the water and wastewater treatment community. If you are an operator, municipal manager, engineering consultant or industrial plant manager involved in the design or maintenance of storm water, clean water and wastewater systems, you now have access to a comprehensive Web community delivering the latest updates on water and wastewater collection, treatment and distribution technologies to give you the knowledge to succeed in your industry.

17. Pacific Institute Insights
The Pacific Institute works to create a healthier planet and sustainable communities. They conduct interdisciplinary research and partner with stakeholders to produce solutions that advance environmental protection, economic development, and social equity—in California, nationally, and internationally.

18. Circle of Blue
Founded in 2000 by leading journalists and scientists, Circle of Blue provides relevant, reliable, and actionable on-the-ground information about the world’s resource crises. With an intense focus on water and its relationships to food, energy, and health, Circle of Blue has created a breakthrough model of front-line reporting, data collection, design, and convening that has evolved with the world’s need to spur new methodology in science, collaboration, innovation, and response. To document emerging and recognized crises, Circle of Blue collaborates with leading scientists and data experts. Through its partnerships, Circle of Blue then dispatches top journalists to map and define the region where the change is occurring.

19. Water for People
Water for People focuses on providing systems that last, honing in on the problem of broken pumps and sanitation systems. Through providing safe sanitation facilities and hygiene education, Water for People targets ten countries, including Ecuador, Rwanda, and India. Water for People’s World Water Corps deploys volunteers to these areas to determine need, bringing this information back to those who can make a difference. Water for People’s blog is a collection of news stories about efforts to improve conditions worldwide.

20. Project WET
Since 1984, the Project WET Foundation has dedicated itself to the mission of reaching children, parents, teachers and community members of the world with water education. A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, Project WET achieves its mission of worldwide water education by: publishing water resource materials in several languages, providing training workshops on diverse water topics; organizing community water events and the Global Water Education Village; building a worldwide network of educators, water resource professionals and scientists.

21. Eco Centric
Eco Centric blog of the GRACE Communications Foundation builds partnerships and develops innovative media strategies that increase public awareness of the relationships among food, water and energy systems.

22. Clean Water Action
For more than forty years, Clean Water Action has fought for cleaner water for our planet’s future. Boasting more than a million members, the organization fights to lower pollution, providing clean water, creating jobs in environmental work, and creating grassroots campaigns that help resolve environmental issues. Clean Water Action’s blog is written by its workers across the world, detailing changes in environmental policies, as well as information about action individuals can take to help make a difference.

23. Aguanomics
David Zetland is the author of Aguanomics. The political-economy of water (and other diversions) is the major concern of his blog. David Zetland received his PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics from UC Davis in 2008. He was a S.v. Ciriacy-Wantrup Postdoctoral Fellow in Natural Resource Economics and Political Economy at UC Berkeley from 2008 to 2010 and Senior Water Economist at Wageningen University from 2011 to 2013.

24. DrinkTap
DrinkTap is the blog of the American Water Works Association (AWWA), an organization with more than 50,000 members. The focus of AWWA is on worldwide safe water advocacy, using the power of its membership to educate communities and work to enact legislation. Drinktap features writings by staff members Greg Kail and Dierdre Mueller, both of whom inform readers about legislation and current events impacting the AWWA.

25. Water Wired
All things freshwater: news, analysis, humor, reviews, and commentary from Michael E. ‘Aquadoc’ Campana, hydrogeologist, hydrophilanthropist, Professor of Hydrogeology and Water Resources Management in the Geography Program of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS) at Oregon State University, Emeritus Professor of Hydrogeology at the University of New Mexico, Past President of the American Water Resources Association and Past Chair of the Scientists & Engineers Division of the National Ground Water Association.

26. River Network
River Network’s focus is on the nation’s rivers and other waterways. With the help of thousands of member organizations across the country, the River Network not only empowers its members, it educates them by providing technical training and continuous access to its resources and services. The River Network’s blog is a collection of writings by its staff and members. The staff acts as field reporters in some instances, interviewing relevant leaders in the industry and covering local issues that members might not otherwise know about.

27. Just a Drop
It only takes a small donation to make a big difference in the lives of those who need it. This is the inspiration behind the name of Just a Drop, which acts as a liaison between funders and projects. On its blog, Just a Drop features stories about donors and partners, and profiles of staff members and workers. The Just a Drop blog also includes its newsletter, which takes an in-depth look at projects in the field, fundraising efforts, and much more.

28. Blood: Water Mission
Jars of Clay founded this water charity, which began as an effort to alleviate the AIDS/HIV crisis in Africa. As the organization began working with an AIDS hospice in the area, the volunteers realized that for the long-term health of AIDS patients, clean water was crucial. Blood: Water Mission’s blog provides a fun, easy-to-read chronicle of the activities of volunteers and communities that are aided by the efforts of the organization. Posts from young volunteers help inspire and motivate the next generation of workers, some of whom were involved in Blood: Water Mission fundraisers through their schools.

29. Water Canada
Water Canada is water magazine concerned only about water and related issues.

30. Aquafornia
Owned by the Water Education Foundation, Aquafornia is a news aggregator that covers California water news from both traditional and non-traditional news sources, presenting the many sides and views of the water picture, with the goal of fostering understanding of various positions and discussion toward resolution of these often-controversial issues.

31. Water Efficiency Blog
Water Efficiency Blog from Forester Media group is the Journal for Water Resource Management. It published 7 times a year and reaches more than 25,000 readers responsible for minimizing water loss in municipal, industrial, commercial, residential, and agricultural settings. Established in 1990, Forester Media provides a broad range of communication and information solutions – magazines, conferences & exhibitions, directories, online media, books, marketing services – for targeted, highly-focused markets.

32. Water Challenge
The Water Challenge blog by Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe aims to create discussion about the important issue of water availability around the world.

33. Watersheds Blog
The Philadelphia Water Department is committed to a balanced “land-water-infrastructure” approach to achieve its watershed management goals. Where appropriate, this method includes infrastructure-based approaches but focuses on implementation of a range of land-based stormwater management techniques and physical reconstruction of aquatic habitats. The ultimate goal of PWD’s approach is to regain the resources in and around streams that have been lost due to urbanization while achieving regulatory compliance objectives in a cost-effective manner.

34. Generosity Water
Generosity Water is a non-profit organization, dedicated to ending the clean water crisis in developing countries, one community at a time. By embracing creativity, forming strategic partnerships, and providing in depth accountability, we hope to inspire people to think globally and live generously.

35. Central Basin
Central Basin Municipal Water District is a public agency that purchases imported water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). Central Basin wholesales the imported water to cities, mutual water companies, investor-owned utilities and private companies in southeast Los Angeles County.

36. Nika Water
Nika provides premium carbon-free bottled water in recyclable bottles. Additionally, Nika has created a program with schools where students are paid for each bottle it returns for recycling. Nika stands out from other bottled water companies in that it donates all proceeds to water projects in areas that need it.

37. Coyote Gulch
Coyote Gulch is a personal blog written by John Orr. He categorized more than 50+ water related issues in his blog. The stunning photos from his blog come from Michael Francis Photography.

38. JFLECK AT INKSTAIN
This is also another personal blog written by John Fleck who writes about science for the Albuquerque Journal and the author of The Tree Rings’ Tale, a book for middle-school-aged kids about the climate of the West.

39. American Water Resource Association (AWRA)
Refugee Sandor Csallany came up with the idea for the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) in 1957, while working in hydrology for the Illinois State Water Survey. The AWRA’s mission is to bring together water professionals from a variety of disciplines within the industry, including regulators, educators, engineers, biologists, and more.

40. Peak Water
PeakWater.org believe that the unequal distribution of, and the lack of access to uncontaminated, drinkable water is the single greatest crisis facing civilization and the environment. The degree to which global citizens are uninformed about this highly politicized phenomenon must be addressed. Thus, unpacking water politics through education and outreach is PeakWater.org’s primary objective.

41. Sandrp
South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) is an informal network working on issues related to rivers, communities and large scale water infrastructure like dams: their environmental and social impacts, their performance and issues related to governance of rivers and dams. This blog is an effort to collate and comment on daily happenings around water and their implications for other sectors.

42. Water 1st International
By making community members a part of the solution, Water 1st boasts a high success rate for its installation of low-cost water systems and toilets. In addition to striving to provide clean water to each household, Water 1st instructs community members on hygiene in an effort to eradicate disease. Their blog gives first-person accounts from its volunteers in the field. These stories give readers a true picture of the impact their work has on entire villages.

43. H2O for Life
H2O for Life focuses on connecting schools with schools in need in other parts of the world. This one-on-one connection shows students more powerful results, as students are able to feel as though they are personally connected to students on the other side of the world. H2O for Life’s blog is written by the president and co-founder of H2O for Life, Patty Hall. Hall has been recognized by Reader’s Digest and CNN and is regularly asked to speak at events in Washington D.C. Hall’s blog features stories on partner schools here and in developing areas, as well as penning general stories about the global water crisis and what individuals can do to help.

44. CannedWater4Kids
CannedWater4Kids distributes canned water to the more than a billion people who lack access to clean drinking water. Not only are these cans recyclable, they allow for clean drinking water to be stored safely for longer periods of time. In addition to providing cans to communities that need water, CannedWater4Kids seeks to have its water sold on the shelves in Wal-Mart to benefit its efforts overseas. Visitors to CannedWater4Kids’ blog can vote for this to become a reality.

45. Chance of Rain
Chance of Rain is a repository of published reporting by Emily Green with occasional ex parte blogging and resource directories to do with water, land and wildlife conservation in the West. Work done in Great Britain for the New Statesman, Guardian and Independent may not be included or linked if it was published in that increasingly dim prehistory known as Before the Internet. The photograph of the crimson Salvia greggii in the banner art is by Diane Cu.

46. Water Blogged
This blog belongs to Pure Water for the World (PWW), an organization that focuses on cost-effective projects to help underserved regions. Founded in 1994 by a dentist and his local Rotary Club, PWW has turned its effort toward sand filters, which can be given to each home affordably, allowing those families to obtain pure drinking water on an ongoing basis. Water Blogged provides news about PWW’s awards, student travels to help with PWW’s activities, and photos from the field.

47. i2O
i2O has developed solutions for pressure management in water networks that help water companies to improve the performance of their networks (reduced leakage, burst frequency and operational expenses), while maintaining agreed customer service levels.

48. Waterkeeper Alliance
Waterkeeper Alliance advocates for regional, national and international energy policies that encourage greater use of renewable energy resources over inherently dirty fossil fuels. Our continued reliance on these fuels is devastating the environment and human health.

49. Huron River Watershed Council
Founded in 1965, the Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) is southeast Michigan’s oldest environmental organization dedicated to river protection. The Huron River Watershed Council works to inspire attitudes, behaviors, and economies to protect, rehabilitate, and sustain the Huron River System.

50. Hydro-logic
This blog, written by M. Garcia, provides a rich set of information about water and water-related issues (e.g., reports, media reviews, conferences and workshops, and more).