With a view to providing senior government stakeholders new perspectives on managing river basins in India, Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai organized a series of lectures and trainings from April–May, 2018. The sessions were led by Dr. Anthony Acciavatti, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Columbia University, who spent over a decade mapping the Ganga River Basin.

Arsenic contamination of groundwater has been recorded in more than 150 districts across 21 states in India and includes rural areas, where piped water supply is limited. Exposure to arsenic can inhibit intellectual development in children, cause severe skin lesions and even lead to fatal cardiovascular disease and cancers. Much of this risk, however, can be mitigated. According to Alexander Van Geen, Lamont Research Professor and member of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, “Arsenic contamination is highly localized.

Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai and the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University are pleased to announce a new initiative to advance science and improve public health outcomes in India enabled by a generous gift from the distinguished philanthropist, Dr. Yusuf Hamied. Through fellowships, public lectures, and the creation of pedagogical resources, the 'Yusuf Hamied Faculty Exchange Program in Health'will promote mutual learning and collaboration.