The Stream, January 5: Fukushima Rice Passes Radiation Tests

The Global Rundown

Rice grown near Fukushima, Japan, has passed radiation tests despite the troubles contaminated water has posed at the damaged nuclear plant. Nicaragua broke ground on the Nicaragua Canal late last month. Warm, low water in California rivers is taking a toll on the state’s Chinook salmon, while more than half of South Africa’s river ecosystems are threatened. Kansas is crafting new water policy to protect itself against drought. Floods in Malaysia have caused hundreds of millions in damages.

“Today is a tragic day for Nicaragua. With the Chinese canal, its sovereignty is once again surrendered to a foreign power.”–Sergio Ramírez, former vice-president of Nicaragua, on the groundbreaking of the Nicaragua Canal last month. The canal has been opposed on concerns about human rights and water pollution in Lake Nicaragua. (The New Yorker)

By The Numbers

360,000 metric tons Rice grown near Fukushima, Japan last year, all of which passed radiation tests for the first time since the 2011 nuclear disaster despite repeated leaks of contaminated water. Reuters

$377 million Damages caused by extensive monsoon flooding in Malaysia, which has submerged plantations and farms and destroyed infrastructure. The Star

Science, Studies, And Reports

A new report from the Institute for Security Studies found that 60 percent of South Africa’s river ecosystems are threatened and a quarter are in critical condition, urging action on water management in the country. Bloomberg

On The Radar

Drought and increasingly warm temperatures spell an uncertain future for California’s Chinook salmon, which form a critical part of the state’s fisheries. Many Chinook salmon eggs were destroyed last year as water levels in their spawning rivers dropped. Yale Environment 360

Kansas lawmakers hope to use 2015 to finalize a new, 50-year water plan to safeguard the state’s resources, while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will release findings on a proposal to transfer water from the eastern part of the state to the dry western region. Kansas City Star

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