The Stream, January 27: Water Pollution Strikes Chinese River

Levels of cadmium, a carcinogen, measured 20 percent higher than the official limit in China’s Longjiang River, Xinhua reported. The pollution, which may have been caused by mining, spurred a rush to buy bottled water amid fears of drinking water contamination.

Weather Extremes
Floods killed 6 people in Fiji and displaced 3,500 following heavy rains, according to UPI. The government declared a state of emergency in parts of Viti Levu, Fiji’s biggest island.

Coffee yields in Mexico are expected to increase eight percent this year, despite a record drought that is costing the country $2.63 billion Bloomberg News reported.

Policy
Leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland are debating how to power a growing world as resources, such as water, become scarce, AFP reported.

The European Union may team up with China to push for global action at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro this June, according to EurActiv. China’s water problems could make it a key ally, some EU leaders believe.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change created an online database cataloging ways businesses are adapting to climate change.

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.

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