The Stream | Water News
The Stream, May 21: Negotiations on the Murray-Darling Draft Plan
Written by Nadya Ivanova
Monday, 21 May 2012 13:00
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The negotiations on a final plan for Australia’s Murray-Darling river system are well under way, with South Australian water officials summoned to give evidence to the federal parliament this week, The Australian reported. South Australia has lashed the draft plan for the basin, saying that it does not return enough water to the environment. Many others have also rejected the proposal.

Meanwhile, a desalination plant in Adelaide is driving up the water prices in South Australia, according to The Australian. Water fees in the state will increase 25 percent next year.

A new project to fetch water by trucks through prime paddy land to Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, threatens to raise tensions between water companies and rice growers, Inter Press Service reported.

Thousands of households near Tokyo had their water supply cut off on Saturday after local checks found it was contaminated with a cancer-causing chemical, AFP reported.

Global freshwater demand is driving up sea levels even faster than melting glaciers, the Guardian reported, citing new research published in Nature Geoscience.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
The Stream, May 18: Climate Change Will Affect U.S. Water Availability
Written by Codi Yeager-Kozacek
Friday, 18 May 2012 08:00
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Water levels on the flooding Rio Negro in Brazil have reached 29.78 meters, the highest in a century, prompting 53 cities to declare a state of emergency, Xinhua reported.

India could see its first commercial shale gas production in four years, Bloomberg News reported. Companies are waiting for further data analysis and government policy before any serious drilling begins.

China’s government has announced it will spend $US 79 billion on nearly 6,000 projects to prevent and control water pollution, Xinhua reported.

Climate Change
The United States Geological Survey has studied how climate change will affect water availability in 14 basins across the U.S., United Press International reported. The findings: a warming trend will likely reduce snowpack, meaning less water flowing into river basins.

After mapping Australasia’s temperature trends for the past 1,000 years, scientists at Australia’s University of Melbourne found that the last 60 years have been the hottest, the Guardian reported. The study’s authors say it supports the idea of man-made climate change.

Climate change, particularly droughts and floods, cost Kenya $US 11.5 billion in 2011, Xinhua reported, citing Kenya’s prime minister. A study estimates that it will take $US 1 billion for drought recovery efforts in the country.

The United Nations climate chief urged countries to set emission reduction targets now in order to prepare for a global climate deal in 2015, AlertNet reported.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
The Stream, May 17: Finland’s Mining Boom
Written by Nadya Ivanova
Thursday, 17 May 2012 07:41
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More frequent and more severe floods, or what some farmers call “climate chaos,” are forcing food growers in upstate New York to stop planting in fertile flood plains, Inside Climate News reported.

Finland’s environmental regulators will toughen rules for mining companies amid growing evidence about environmental damage from the country’s recent mining boom, Bloomberg reported. The promise of big mining profits is driving fresh public concerns about toxic waste water discharges.

Environmental journalist Fred Pearce shares his 10 favorite eco-books — from stories of ecological collapse to the hope of nuclear technology.

The world needs to “radically transform” the way it manages water, energy and land, according to the European Report on Development, the Guardian reported. The study calls on the European Union to adopt an integrated approach to managing this nexus.

The Department of Water and Power of the City of Los Angeles plans to sell $276.8 million of water system revenue bonds next week, Reuters reported.

Don’t forget it’s Africa Water Week.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
The Stream, May 16: How Satisfactory Is World Water Quality?
Written by Codi Yeager-Kozacek
Wednesday, 16 May 2012 08:00
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A new poll from Gallup asked people in 140 countries how satisfied they were with their air and water quality. The results, which you can find here, show that those in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are least satisfied with their water.

Engineers have unveiled a way to clean water without using filters that is cheaper and uses less energy, Planet Forward and Bloomberg News reported. Videos show how the invention, using a vortex, separates contaminants from dirty water.

Climate Change
World biodiversity has dropped 28 percent in the last 40 years, due in large part to growing human consumption of natural resources, says a study from the World Wildlife Fund, EurActiv reported. The study asserts that by 2030, even two Earths would not be enough to sustain human activity if current patterns continue.

The United Nations will begin efforts to allow carbon credits for small-scale projects, especially in rural areas of developing countries, Bloomberg News reported.

China
The lingering drought in China’s Yunnan province has dried up 673 small reservoirs and left 549 small and mid-sized rivers with below-average water levels, Xinhua reported. The provincial government has set aside $US 404 million to combat the drought.

China’s new drinking water standards will require supplies to meet 106 criteria for microbes, organic substances and purification levels, China Radio International reported. The new standards will take effect across the country in July.

Energy
Environmental violations issued to Pennsylvania’s natural gas drillers in 2011 dropped 54 percent from the number of violations recorded in 2008, according to a study by New York’s University at Buffalo’s Shale Resources and Society Institute, Bloomberg News reported.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
The Stream, May 15: America’s Most Endangered Rivers
Written by Nadya Ivanova
Tuesday, 15 May 2012 12:32
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The Potomac River is the most endangered river in the United States, according to a new report by the environmental group American Rivers. The annual list of U.S. rivers at risk includes streams in virtually every region of the country. Several are threatened by the same types of activities: energy development or dam- and reservoir-building, according to this interview by The New York Times Green blog.

A severe drought has gripped northeastern Brazil, devastating farm output and triggering fighting in rural areas, AFP reported, citing local media. The drought is said to be the worst in the region in 50 years.

Water shortages in the north of both Mexico and Brazil are aggravating violence and tensions in the two countries, according to this blog post for The Christian Science Monitor.

Amid both drought and flooding in the United Kingdom, the country’s water regulator sent a warning to the water industry to find creative ways to ensure water supplies and to meet the challenges posed by population growth and climate change, the U.K. Press Association reported.

The European Commission plans to launch a pan-European partnership to increase innovation in the water sector, Utility Week reported. If approved, the project will bring together the water industry, small and medium-sized enterprises, the research community, local governments, water-using industries and the financial sector.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
The Stream, May 14: NASA Scientist Links Specific Weather Events to Climate Change
Written by Nadya Ivanova
Monday, 14 May 2012 07:45
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Drinking water is safe to consume in the small Pennsylvania town of Dimock, where residents complained about hydraulic fracturing, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Meanwhile, this Reuters analysis shows that insurers find it tough to price the risk from hydraulic fracturing.

A NASA scientist has for the first time tied specific weather events, such as the recent Texas drought and the 2010 heat wave in Russia, to human-induced climate change. TIME Magazine and The Atlantic both look at his scary math.

Record rainfall in April has helped take 19 counties in the United Kingdom out of drought, but water restrictions remain in London, east and southeast England, according to Bloomberg News.

Farms, cities and industries in the dry U.S. Southwest are guzzling water at an alarming rate, nearly double the sustainable benchmark, ScienceDaily reported. What are the scenarios for the region?

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
The Stream, May 11: Top Scientists Say Water + Energy = Linked Issues
Written by Codi Yeager-Kozacek
Friday, 11 May 2012 08:00
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Energy and Climate
The world’s top scientists are urging governments to look at water and energy as a single, linked issue and say that growing demands for both resources is one of three major global dilemmas, the Guardian reported.

How dirty are Canada’s oil sands? Reuters looks at Europe and Canada’s battle over how to classify crude from this unconventional source following the release of a new study that says emissions from oil-sand crude are only 12 percent higher than those from conventional crude.

The oil industry says it has put $US 71 billion into researching low-emission, renewable energy sources like biofuel, Bloomberg News reported.

Africa
Lead dust from a gold mining rush threatens tens of thousands of children in Nigeria and could contaminate water supplies, according to Médecins Sans Frontières, Bloomberg News reported.

Uganda’s government has threatened to expel Oxfam and the Uganda Land Alliance if the non-governmental organizations do not apologize for accusing the government of facilitating land grabs by international businesses, the Guardian reported. The government says the allegations have incited violence and tarnished the president’s name.

A South African mining company plans to develop a new 13-15 million tonne coal mine to supply the export market, but the timing of the project will depend on the availability of water and rail infrastructure, according to Reuters.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
The Stream, May 10: How Effective Is Australia’s Water Trading System?
Written by Nadya Ivanova
Thursday, 10 May 2012 07:27
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A flawed water-trading system is choking the Murray-Darling, Australia’s largest river basin, and the new draft plan for the region will not solve the problems, according to a prominent Australian water expert.

South Africa’s Cabinet will receive the long-awaited technical report on shale gas development in the country in July at the latest, according to Bloomberg News. The government set a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing last year, pending studies of the impacts on water, health and the environment.

Half of China’s tap water does not meet national drinking water standards, and the quality of the water has not improved since 2009, The Economic Times reported, citing an official water survey.

The United Kingdom plans to unveil draft legislation this year that would increase competition in the water sector and encourage investment needed to keep supplies flowing as the climate gets drier, Bloomberg News reported.

A senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations analyzes the U.S. State Department’s Global Water Security report. What’s looming for the world’s fresh water?

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
The Stream, May 9: Superbugs in India’s Water
Written by Codi Yeager-Kozacek
Wednesday, 09 May 2012 08:00
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A $12.4 billion pharmaceutical industry and poor hygiene are fostering the growth of antibiotic-resistant super bacteria in India’s water, which could have serious implications for global health, Bloomberg News reported.

The Club of Rome, a Switzerland-based think tank, has released a report forecasting global changes over the next 40 years. The report predicts an average global temperature increase of 2 degrees Celsius by 2052 due to inaction by policy makers and industry, Reuters reported.

A new ‘smart city’ operating system, which aims to integrate services like water, energy and transportation, will be tested in part of London, BBC reported.

Countries continue to pick sides in the hydraulic fracturing debate, with Poland asserting that it will not follow the Czech Republic in placing a moratorium on shale gas exploration, Reuters reported. The United Kingdom’s Environment Agency also said it supports fracking.

El Niño conditions could develop this year as the Pacific Ocean continues to warm, according to the Australia Bureau of Meteorology, Bloomberg News reported. El Niño can cause drought in Asia and Australia and cool temperatures in North America.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

 
The Stream, May 8: Czech Republic May Impose Shale Gas Moratorium
Written by Nadya Ivanova
Tuesday, 08 May 2012 07:27
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The Czech Republic plans to set a two-year moratorium on granting licences for shale gas exploration, pending new legislation that will address the new gas extraction technique, Reuters reported.

Almost half of the water companies in the United Kingdom will not be required to reduce their leakages before 2015, even though the country is in the grips of its worst drought in 25 years, The Press Association reported. Water companies across England and Wales leaked more than 3.3 billion liters of water a day in 2010-11.

Loyola University Chicago will ban bottled water sales on campus, according to WLS-TV/DT.

Industry and governments are getting more and more interested in proposals for aquifer storages in Australia as a way to ensure the country’s future water security, ABC reported.

Egypt will need 50 percent more Nile River water by 2050 to supply its growing population, Ahram Online reported, citing Egypt’s National Planning Institute.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.