The Stream, October 25: U.N. May Pay Haiti Cholera Victims

The Global Rundown

The families and communities most affected by a cholera outbreak in Haiti could receive compensation under a plan floated by the United Nations. The murder of a government official in Brazil’s Amazon has raised new concerns about crimes against environmental campaigners. Expanding deserts in China are forcing thousands of people to relocate. Tensions over water and energy in Central Asia’s Amu Darya basin could escalate if shortages are not addressed. Water shortages continue to plague communities in the West Bank. The pope’s views on climate change have had little effect on the opinions of Catholics in the United States, a new study found.

“The killing of Luiz Alberto Araújo marks a new low in the war waged against environmentalists in the Brazilian Amazon. It sends a message that no one is untouchable.” –Billy Kyte, a campaign leader for environment and human rights organization Global Witness, on the murder of a government official in Brazil over his work to enforce environmental laws. (Guardian)

By The Numbers

$200 million Amount the United Nations is proposing to pay communities and families in Haiti that have been affected by a deadly outbreak of cholera. The disease, often transmitted through contaminated water supplies, is widely thought to have originated from a U.N. peacekeeping mission following the 2010 earthquake. Reuters

54,390 square kilometers Land area in China that has been converted to desert since 1975. Desertification and the loss of lakes and oases is forcing thousands of families to relocate ahead of the advancing sand. The New York Times

40 days Time that some towns in the West Bank have gone without running water due to a shortage that Palestinian officials blame on Israeli water suppliers. Aljazeera

Science, Studies, And Reports

Catholics in the United States have been largely unswayed by Pope Francis’ efforts to inspire action on climate change, according to a study by researchers at Texas Tech University. While nearly three-quarters of U.S. Catholics believe in climate change, the study found that respondents’ views on the subject — and their views of the pope’s stance — were closely linked to their political affiliations. Guardian

On The Radar

A breakdown in relations between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan is straining the availability of water and energy in the five countries, which shared resources while under Soviet control. The shortages have led to localized disputes, and plans for hydropower development in the Amu Darya basin could create further tension. BBC News