The Stream, October 8, 2019: Turkey Prepares to Flood Ancient Town In Construction of Ilisu Dam

The Global Rundown

The deadline arrives for residents to leave a 12,000-year-old town that will be flooded for the construction of Turkey’s Ilisu Dam. Egypt says that a deadlock has occurred in negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Sweltering temperatures and minimal precipitation continues to affect the Southern United States. Farmers in Argentina’s grain belt anxiously await forecasted rainfall. Texas it set to receive $4 billion in flood-prevention funding from the federal government, but the funds will not be managed by Houston or Harris County. 

“Houston and Harris County have proven that they are unable to ensure victims are receiving resources in a timely manner.” –John Wittman, a spokesman for Texas Governor Greg Abbott, in reference to the dispersal of more than $4 billion in flood-prevention funding for those affected by Hurricane Harvey and other flood events. Management of the fund, which was approved by Congress in 2018, will instead be managed by Texas General Land Office and Commissioner George P. Bush. KHOU

Latest WaterNews from Circle of Blue

HotSpots H2O: India’s Monsoon Season, Wettest in 25 Years, Comes to an End — Following a slow start, India was deluged this year with its heaviest monsoon rains in a quarter century. 

By The Numbers

3,000 Residents of Hasankeyf, Turkey, who are being forced to leave their homes by October 8 ahead of planned flooding that will occur as part of the Ilisu Dam project. The controversial dam has experienced a variety of delays since it was envisioned 20 years ago, but is gradually nearing completion. Once finished, it will be Turkey’s fourth-largest hydropower dam. Reuters

10 weeks Length of time that the Southern U.S. has experienced diminished precipitation. The lack of rainfall, along with unseasonably warm temperatures, has led to a flash drought in 14 states. In some areas, temperatures are up to 15°F (8°C) above average. The New York Times

Science, Studies, and Reports

After a promising start to the season, several months of drought have hampered crop growth in Argentina’s Pampas grains belt. Forecasts show that rainfall levels may be returning to normal, however, a prospect that regional farmers are eagerly anticipating. Reuters

On the Radar

Egypt says talks with Ethiopia and Sudan over the future of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam have ground to a halt after Ethiopia “rejected all the proposals that take Egypt’s water interests into account.” Egypt is calling for international mediation, an idea that is opposed by Ethiopia. Al Jazeera

Kayla Ritter

Kayla Ritter is a recent graduate of Michigan State University, where she studied International Relations and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She is currently based in Manton, Michigan. Kayla enjoys running, writing, and traveling. Contact Kayla Ritter