Entries by Brett Walton

The Stream, June 4: Water Stress Affects Fewer Cities Than Previously Thought

One in four cities with a population greater than 750,000 is water stressed, a figure lower than earlier estimates of 40 percent of such cities, according to new research. Fewer urban areas are exposed to water stress because cities can afford to build canals and pipelines that transfer water from distant basins, an economic reality […]

The Stream, June 3: Melting Glaciers, Increasing Precipitation Will Lift Himalayan River Flows

More heat in a warming world, more water in South Asia’s mountain rivers – at least through 2050. That conclusion is from a study published this week in the journal Nature Climate Change. Different Himalayan river basins show different hydrological influences. The Indus is more dependent on melting snow and glaciers whereas the Brahmaputra and […]

Federal Water Tap, June 2: Obama Announces Carbon Limits for Existing Power Plants

Seeking to make good on a promise to address the causes of global warming, the Obama administration took a first-ever step to limiting carbon emissions from power plants that are already operating. But it is a step, not a leap. The proposed rule seeks to cut emissions by 30 percent by 2030 against a 2005 […]

The Stream, June 2: Australian Government Changes Priorities in Murray-Darling River Basin Restoration

Australia’s conservative coalition government will cut by 13 percent the amount of water it purchases from farmers, water that will be used to restore flows in the country’s most important watershed, The Australian reports. Instead, the government will spend $2.3 billion on water-efficient infrastructure projects, in hopes of saving an equivalent amount of water. Concerns […]

The Stream, May 30: New York City’s Groundwater Plan Worries Nearby Counties

The largest city in the United States wants to revive dozens of groundwater wells on Long Island as a temporary supply, Newsday reports. The new sources will be needed in 2021 when New York shuts down one of its upstate aqueducts for at least 10 months to repair leaks. Long Island residents fear that added […]

The Stream, May 29: Name Change Inserts Global Climate Into India’s Bureaucracy

India’s new government changed the official name of the environment ministry to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, the Economic Times reports. Observers are hopeful that the name change will lead to domestic development policies that alleviate poverty while reducing carbon output. India’s new water minister, meanwhile, pledged to make good on her […]

Slideshow: Drought in the Southern U.S. Plains Today Recalls the 1930s Dust Bowl

Strong winds and dry soils are a frightful combination. The series of dust storms that rolled through the southern Great Plains this winter and spring were as bad as any in living memory. The region’s rainfall deficit is worse now than during the peak of the Dust Bowl, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service. […]

The Stream, May 28: UN Water Treaty Surpasses Ratification Threshold

Earlier this month Vietnam became the 35th country to ratify a United Nations treaty on rivers that cross international boundaries. Having now acquired an adequate number of signatures, the treaty will come into force on August 17, 2014. The International Water Law blog is hosting a series of essays exploring what this means for the […]

In the Himalayas, Drones Map Melting Glaciers

Researchers use new technology to gather data in rugged terrain. Video of the drone research, from the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, based in Nepal. “Because it’s there,” George Mallory famously replied when asked in 1923 his motivation for challenging the world’s highest peak. Yet long before Mallory’s linguistic minimalism Everest was there, a […]

Federal Water Tap, May 27: Senate Passes Water Infrastructure, Drought Bills

Both sides of Congress passed a $US 12 billion water infrastructure package last week. The 532-page Water Resources Reform and Development Act is a doozy. It hands out money, defines policies, and orders new studies. The highlights: Project planning assessments, called feasibility studies, will be capped at three years and $US 3 million dollars, codifying […]

In California, Groundwater Softens Drought’s Punch – That’s Both Good News and Bad

Agriculture may do better this year than expected, researchers say. But at a long-term cost.

Federal Water Tap, May 19: EPA Recommends New Water Quality Standards for Chemical Pollutants

How much benzene should be allowed in a liter of river water? Or how about vinyl chloride? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a new answer for 94 federally regulated chemicals, though states and tribes will be the ultimate arbiters. The EPA is updating human health benchmarks for chemical concentrations in rivers, lakes, and streams […]