Insights from recent episode analysis
Audience Interest
Podcast Focus
Publishing Consistency
Platform Reach
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
Total monthly reach
Estimated from 3 chart positions in 3 markets.
By chart position
- 🇺🇸US · Nature#1755K to 30K
- 🇫🇷FR · Nature#1461K to 10K
- 🇿🇦ZA · Nature#145500 to 3K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
3.3K to 22K🎙 Weekly cadence·43 episodes·Last published 4d ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
6.5K to 43K🇺🇸70%🇫🇷23%🇿🇦7% - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
2.6K to 17K
Market Insights
Platform Distribution
Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
Total Followers
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Total Plays
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Total Reviews
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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
On the show
Recent episodes
Melissa D. Ho: Why Walling Off Nature Won't Provide Water Security
May 12, 2026
41m 28s
Albert Cho: Why Water Security is Economic Security in the U.S.
Apr 28, 2026
47m 50s
Rethinking Insurance in an Era of Extreme Weather with Raghuveer Vinukollu
Apr 15, 2026
40m 09s
Fragmentation, Flood Risk, and Rethinking How We Manage Water with Melissa Roberts
Feb 10, 2026
33m 26s
Water Infrastructure, Engineering, and Climate Adaptation with John Take
Jan 27, 2026
36m 31s
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| Date | Episode | Description | Length | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/12/26 |  Melissa D. Ho: Why Walling Off Nature Won't Provide Water Security | How can we use nature-based solutions alongside traditional infrastructure to meet our needs?Melissa Ho joins John Sabo to explore how conservation is shifting from protecting nature in isolation to designing systems where people and ecosystems work together. Drawing on her experience in conservation and development, Melissa explains how nature-based solutions are being integrated with built infrastructure to improve water management and restore ecosystems.The conversation also explores groundwater, agriculture, corporate engagement, and why better stewardship and management of water may matter more than creating new supply.“Nature-based solutions … it’s not just conservation with better branding, it’s actually re-engineering our mindset to think about engineering better with biological systems.”— Melissa Ho, Season 5 of Audacious WaterDiscussed in This Episode:* The Shift Away from “Fortress Conservation”* How Nature-Based Solutions Work With Infrastructure* Groundwater, Data, and Better Water Management* Agriculture, Runoff, and Watershed Health* Corporate Incentives, Disclosure, and Water Risk* Scaling Nature-Based Solutions Beyond Pilot Projects This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 41m 28s | ||||||
| 4/28/26 |  Albert Cho: Why Water Security is Economic Security in the U.S. | If water is critical for economic growth, then why don’t we prioritize it in our planning?Albert Cho, Vice President and Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer at Xylem, joins John to explore why water security is foundational to economic growth, but we don't plan for it that way. From AI and infrastructure to basin-scale governance and disaster resilience, Albert explains how rising demand and system constraints are reshaping water challenges across the U.S. He also discusses why the biggest barrier isn’t innovation, but adoption, and how better planning and coordination could unlock significant amounts of water already within existing systems." Trying to approach the problem the same way and planning for infrastructure in the same way is literally the definition of insanity. It is going to condemn us to a future of water insecurity."- Albert Cho on Audacious WaterWhat We Discuss in This Episode:* Water Security and Human Security* What’s Missing in AI Infrastructure Planning* “Potential Water” in Existing Systems* Fragmentation and Basin-Level Coordination* Rural Systems and Regionalization* Innovation vs. AdoptionListen to the conversation with Albert Cho to hear how new demands are reshaping water systems, and what it will take to create more water security. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 47m 50s | ||||||
| 4/15/26 |  Rethinking Insurance in an Era of Extreme Weather with Raghuveer Vinukollu | How do you insure a future where extreme weather is the new normal?Raghuveer Vinukollu, a hydrologist and reinsurance professional, joins John to explore how the insurance industry is responding to the growing risks of extreme weather. Reinsurance is insurance for insurance companies, and it helps make it possible to cover catastrophic events like hurricanes and flooding. Raghuveer explains how data is used to understand and price risk, why the industry balances accuracy with adequacy, and how natural infrastructure and system-scale thinking could help reduce risk and lower insurance costs.“There is always going to be a certain amount of uncertainty which can be priced for, but if we can get the right amount of adequacy, then only we can move forward.”- Raghuveer Vinukollu, Audacious WaterWhat You’ll Hear in This Episode:* Accuracy, Adequacy, and Uncertainty in Reinsurance* How Reinsurance Works: A Probabilistic Approach to Risk* Extreme Weather and the Changing Risk Landscape* From Risk Assessment to Risk Reduction* Nature-Based Infrastructure and System-Scale Solutions* Financing Resilience and the Future of Adaptation This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 40m 09s | ||||||
| 2/10/26 |  Fragmentation, Flood Risk, and Rethinking How We Manage Water with Melissa Roberts | What are the challenges communities face when it comes to taking action against flooding?On this episode of Audacious Water, Melissa Roberts joins John to talk about fragmentation, systemic challenges, and how water really flows. Melissa is the Founder and Executive Director of the American Flood Coalition, where she works with leaders across the country to create local solutions to flood management and pass legislation that helps further flood resilience.Melissa and John talk about the importance of managing flood risk at scale, what that looks like for communities, and why fragmented water governance makes taking effective action so difficult, even when we know the risks. They also discuss how a new national water strategy could help bring these pieces together and move us toward more coordinated, forward-looking solutions.What you’ll hear in this episode:* The challenges local leaders face when trying to act on flood risk* Why managing water at the watershed level matters more than political boundaries* How a systems approach helps scale solutions and creates co-benefits* Why preparedness is far less expensive than disaster response* What needs to change at the state and federal level to reduce fragmentation* Why innovation is critical to managing future flood risk This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 33m 26s | ||||||
| 1/27/26 |  Water Infrastructure, Engineering, and Climate Adaptation with John Take | John Take, executive Vice President and Chief Growth and Innovation officer at the environmental consulting firm Stantec joins John Sabo on the latest episode of Audacious Water to talk about how water infrastructure is evolving as climate change intensifies. He draws on more than 30 years of experience as an engineer working on complex water challenges, including post-Katrina New Orleans and long-term planning in the Colorado River Basin.John Take explains how modern water projects are planned, who needs to be involved, and how the most successful projects now also depend on governance, financing, data, and meaningful community engagement.“ When we start to put together teams now, there’s still a client, there’s still a contractor, there’s still an operator. Who’s been added into the mix? It’s finance, it’s academia, it’s nonprofits, it’s philanthropy. We’re getting to better solutions because our team is so much more diverse.”- John Take, Season 5, Episode 4 of Audacious WaterWhat you’ll hear in this episode:* What water infrastructure really means in an era of climate risk* Why engineering is necessary but no longer sufficient on its own* How water projects are designed and delivered today* The role of community engagement in successful climate adaptation* Why water security is critical to the economy and public health This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 36m 31s | ||||||
| 1/13/26 |  Innovation, Data, and the Future of Water Management with Will Sarni | Globally recognized water strategist Will Sarni joins host John Sabo to continue the conversation on why the U.S. needs a new National Water Strategy and to discuss what innovation in the water sector actually means.Drawing on decades of experience working across the private sector, finance, and public policy, Will explains why water must be treated as a strategic resource and how industries from agriculture to data centers depend on reliable water supplies. They explore the role of finance in scaling solutions, the difference between incremental and disruptive innovation, and why the future of water management depends not just on more data, but on turning data into actionable information, especially as climate change intensifies water-related risks."We need to really think about water as a strategic resource, and how do we manage it accordingly - not just have regulations, but we need a rudder on the ship considering how incredibly important water is."- Will Sarni, Season 5, Episode 3 of Audacious WaterWhat you’ll hear in this episode:* Why the U.S. needs a new National Water Strategy* How water risk affects industries across the economy* Why innovation in water goes beyond technology* The role of finance in scaling water solutions* Turning water data into information people can actually use This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 29m 37s | ||||||
| 12/2/25 |  Why the U.S. Needs a New National Water Strategy with Dr. Newsha Ajami and Dr. Martin Doyle (Part 2) | In the second half of John Sabo’s conversation with Dr. Newsha Ajami and Dr. Martin Doyle, the discussion shifts from the 1951 national water plan to what a modern national water strategy needs to address. Together, they explore the economic value of water, the scale and structure of governance, rural water challenges, and why innovation in governance and finance, and not just technology, is essential for the decades ahead. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 40m 59s | ||||||
| 11/18/25 |  Why the U.S. Needs a New National Water Strategy with Dr. Newsha Ajami and Dr. Martin Doyle (Part 1) | It’s been 75 years since the United States released its first and only national water strategy. In this episode, John talks with Dr. Newsha Ajami of Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and Dr. Martin Doyle of Duke University about why that original plan mattered, what it accomplished, and why today’s challenges call for a new approach. They explore the historical context of the 1951 plan, the issues it identified that remain relevant today, and how political boundaries, fragmented agencies, and modern pressures like groundwater depletion and climate change make a new national strategy essential. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 31m 33s | ||||||
| 11/5/25 |  Season 5 Trailer: Rethinking Water for the Next 75 Years | In Season 5 of Audacious Water, host John Sabo asks: Why doesn’t the United States have a modern national water strategy? What would a new one look like?It’s been 75 years since we last had a written plan for managing water. Since then, the planet has warmed, our infrastructure has aged, and the challenges of flood, drought, and equity have grown.Join John and guest experts as they explore what it will take to build a strategy for the next 75 years – one that connects water and climate and supports every community, from cities to rural towns.A new season of Audacious Water begins soon. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 1m 33s | ||||||
| 5/27/25 |  The Five Transformations, and What Gives Me Hope | In this special bonus episode, John Sabo looks back at the conversations with leading experts in Season 4. Each guest joined him to explore one of the five transformations reshaping the Mississippi River Basin, making it hotter, drier, stormier, saltier, and sicker.He revisits what gave them hope, from grassroots innovation to bold new infrastructure ideas, and highlights how adaptation is already happening in cities across the country. These conversations and the ideas within them offer even more hope for the future of the heartland. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 20m 25s | ||||||
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| 4/8/25 |  Mary Hayden: Water, Risk, and the Human Side of Vector-Borne Disease | Dr. Mary Hayden, a medical anthropologist and Research Professor with the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs, joins John to explore how human behavior and water insecurity are reshaping the spread of mosquito-borne disease. With fieldwork spanning the U.S. and Latin America, Mary shares how climate change is expanding disease risk into new regions – and why public health strategies must go beyond spraying to include education, trust, and community action. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 29m 04s | ||||||
| 2/25/25 |  Dawn Wesson: The Growing Threat of Mosquito-Borne Diseases in a Changing Climate | Dr. Dawn Wesson, Associate Professor at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, joins John to explore how climate change is expanding the range of vector-borne diseases. With decades of experience studying mosquito-borne viruses like West Nile and Zika, Dawn explains how rising temperatures and human movement are accelerating the northward expansion of tropical diseases. She also discusses innovative control strategies, including biological methods and emerging technologies that could help reduce disease transmission in a warming world. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 36m 59s | ||||||
| 2/11/25 |  Charles Allen: How Communities Designed Their Future in Post-Katrina New Orleans | Charles Allen, Engagement Director for the Audubon Delta unit of the National Audubon Society and co-founder of the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development, joins John to reflect on nearly 20 years since Hurricane Katrina and what it means for New Orleans today. They discuss his experience with post-Katrina recovery, the importance of community-led rebuilding, and how neighborhoods have navigated uneven redevelopment. Charles also explores how communities can stay engaged on the impacts of climate change and why public participation is key to building long-term resilience. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 41m 46s | ||||||
| 1/21/25 |  Marshall Shepherd: The Climate Science Behind Stronger Tropical Storms | Dr. Marshall Shepherd, Director of the Atmospheric Sciences Program at the University of Georgia, joins John to discuss the fourth transformation: how tropical storms and extreme weather are intensifying in frequency and power. From hurricanes moving further inland to the compounding effects of heatwaves and heavy rainfall, Marshall explains the science behind these shifts and the growing challenges they pose for communities across the U.S. Together, they explore the critical steps needed to adapt, rethink infrastructure, and address inequities in how extreme weather impacts vulnerable populations. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 36m 35s | ||||||
| 1/7/25 |  Tyler Antrup: Green Infrastructure and Climate Adaptation in Coastal Cities | Tyler Antrup, an urban planner focused on climate adaptation and water management, a professor at Tulane School of Architecture, and a member of the Sewerage and Water Board, joins John to discuss the complex water challenges facing New Orleans. From green infrastructure to mitigate flooding to the creeping threat of saltwater intrusion into drinking water systems, Tyler shares insights on adapting urban environments to the realities of climate change. They explore the evolving dynamics between stormwater management, subsidence, and sea level rise, as well as the critical role of community-based organizations in driving innovation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 41m 03s | ||||||
| 12/3/24 |  Allison Lassiter: Sea Level Rise and the Hidden Threat of Saltwater Intrusion | Dr. Allison Lassiter, Assistant Professor in City and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania, joins John to discuss one of the hidden dangers of sea level rise—saltwater intrusion. With expertise in climate adaptation and urban water management, Dr. Lassiter explains how rising salinity threatens drinking water systems, agriculture, and infrastructure. Together, they explore the costly solutions, like desalination, and why small communities face unique challenges. They also discuss the role of state-level strategies and innovative financing in building resilient water systems for the future. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 36m 29s | ||||||
| 11/19/24 |  Meredith McInturff: Managing Public Health in Extreme Heat | Meredith McInturff, manager of the Public Health Emergencies and Environmental Health Unit at the New Orleans Health Department, joins John to discuss how the New Orleans Health Department is evolving to meet the growing threats of extreme heat. She and John explore the public health challenges faced by vulnerable populations, from unsheltered individuals to transit riders and outdoor workers, and how these challenges are shaping new city policies and cross-sector partnerships aimed at heat resilience. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 31m 10s | ||||||
| 11/5/24 |  Jesse Keenan: Climate Migration and the Impacts of Extreme Heat on U.S. Cities | Jesse Keenan, the Favrot II Associate Professor of Sustainable Real Estate and Urban Planning and the Founding Director of the Center for Climate Change and Urbanism at Tulane University, joins John to talk about the second transformation: How extreme heat is moving north due to climate change. Jesse’s work focuses on climate change adaptation and the built environment, including design, engineering, and planning. He and John discuss what this heat transformation means for communities in the sunbelt and across the U.S. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 40m 05s | ||||||
| 10/22/24 |  Brian Smoliak: Adapting Agriculture for a Drier Future | In this episode of Audacious Water, host John Sabo continues the conversation on the first transformation —the deserts of the west moving eastward—with Brian Smoliak, an entrepreneur and climate scientist at Two Degrees Adapt. Brian shares insights on how climate change is affecting agriculture, and discusses innovative solutions helping farmers adapt. From cutting-edge technologies to evolving farming practices, Brian explains the vital role entrepreneurship and innovation play in addressing the challenges posed by climate change. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 39m 06s | ||||||
| 10/8/24 |  Jonathan Overpeck: Aridification and a Drier Future for the Mississippi River Basin | In this episode, John Sabo speaks with Jonathan Overpeck, a renowned climate scientist and Dean for the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan. Peck discusses his role in defining critical climate change terms such as “tipping point” and “mega-drought, how climate change is exacerbating drought conditions in the Western U.S. and spreading aridification across the Midwest, and strategies for adaptation, including changes in agricultural practices and the management of water resources. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 40m 05s | ||||||
| 9/24/24 |  Introducing Season 4: The Five Transformations | In Season 4 of Audacious Water, host John Sabo dives into how climate change is reshaping the Mississippi River Basin. He'll explore five different transformations over ten episodes with experts and people on the front lines to find out what's happening and how we can take action. Join us as we explore a future shaped by climate change. The new season starts next month. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 1m 04s | ||||||
| 8/15/24 |  A Road Trip to the Mississippi Headwaters | In this special bonus episode, John and his daughter Lilly take a road trip from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the headwaters to get to know this great river, along with some of the people who live along its waters. From a fisherman in Plaquemines to visitors at the headwaters, each person they meet along the journey paints a picture of how they experience life by the Mississippi. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 28m 44s | ||||||
| 5/7/24 |  Sönke Dangendorf and Torbjörn Törnqvist: Sea Level Rise and Coastal Restoration | Tulane professors Torbjörn (Tor) Törnqvist, a geologist, and Sönke Dangendorf, a coastal engineer and physical oceanographer, join John to talk about sea level rise and coastal restoration, and what could happen to coastal communities if we pass the Paris Agreement global temperature threshold of 1.5-degree Celsius. Sönke has more than 15 years of experience researching mean and extreme sea levels, ocean tides and storm surges and the impact on coastal flooding, and is a member of the NASA Sea-Level Change Team. Tor has been researching the evolution of rivers, deltas, coasts, and shallow oceans in response to climate and sea-level change for more than 20 years. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 31m 32s | ||||||
| 3/26/24 |  Richard Seager: The 100th Meridian and Climate Change | Richard Seager, a climate scientist and the Palisades Geophysical Institute/Lamont Research Professor at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, joins John to talk about changes in aridity in North America around the 100th Meridian, and how climate change is going to affect the heartland of the U.S. and the Mississippi river basin. Richard’s current work is focused on how global hydroclimate will change in the near-term future as a result of rising greenhouse gases, and how that will affect people and food systems. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 36m 02s | ||||||
| 10/24/23 |  Jay Famiglietti: Groundwater, adaptation, and monitoring water from the sky | Jay Famiglietti, a hydrologist and a Global Futures Professor in the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University, joins John to talk about groundwater management and the state of water in the American west. Jay has extensive experience measuring and tracking groundwater and water security issues, including using satellites to help develop advanced computer models to track how freshwater availability changes around the globe. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit audaciouswater.substack.com | 38m 52s | ||||||
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Chart Positions
3 placements across 3 markets.
Chart Positions
3 placements across 3 markets.