The Stream, November 27: Mumbai Fails To Address Flood Risks

The Global Rundown

Mumbai still faces extreme flood risks 10 years after a 2005 disaster, and a new report urges governments to do more to address extreme weather risk. Deteriorating water systems are contributing to disease in Syria. France must defend its Sivens dam project, while hydropower helped push Scotland’s renewable energy production to new highs. China’s Lake Ebinur has halved in size, and the cost of a New York City water plant has nearly quadrupled. Seven United Kingdom water companies did not pay a corporation tax last year.

“We need preventive measures, rather than a Disaster Management Cell, when we know [flooding] is an extreme event we’re prone to. But we have not learned anything in 10 years.” –Rishi Aggarwal, an environmental activist in Mumbai on the city’s failure to meaningfully address risks following the 2005 flood disaster. (Guardian)

By The Numbers

3 people infected in Syria with screw worms, a tropical parasite that is linked to deteriorating water and sanitation conditions. Reuters

10.4 terawatt hours Amount of Scotland’s energy generated by renewable sources like wind and hydropower in the first half of 2014, pushing renewables above coal, gas, and nuclear power for the first time. BusinessGreen

$3.2 billion Profits of the 19 water companies operating in the United Kingdom, seven of which did not have to pay a corporation tax last year. AOL Money UK

Science, Studies, And Reports

Governments and businesses need to do more to measure and take into account the risks posed by extreme weather like droughts and floods, according to a report on resilience published by the Royal Society. The report includes trend maps showing estimated changes in exposure to extreme weather. The Royal Society

The cost of a water filtration plant that will treat a significant portion of New York City’s water has nearly quadrupled to $US 3.7 billion, according to a new estimate report from the city’s Independent Budget Office. New York Daily News

China’s Lake Ebinur shrank 50 percent since 1955, according to NASA satellite images. The lake contains salt water, but is shrinking due to agricultural and municipal diversions of the fresh water that feeds it. Yale Environment 360

On The Radar

The European Commission is demanding that France defend its proposed Sivens dam project and show that it will be in accordance with European Union laws meant to protect water resources. France has two months to respond to the request. Guardian

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek