Entries by Codi Kozacek

The Stream, April 25: Australia Coal Mine Could Become Stranded Asset

The Global Rundown The Carmichael coal mine project in Queensland poses a “high level of financial risk” to investors, according to a new report. With only 88 days of water left in its reservoirs, the city of Cape Town, South Africa is asking residents to reduce their water use. A hackathon competition hopes to solve […]

The Stream, April 24: Military Action Threatens Somalia Drought Response

The Global Rundown Potential military interventions against the al-Shabaab group in Somalia would be detrimental to drought and famine relief efforts, according to a United Nations representative. India plans to build more artificial glaciers to make up for the loss of ice in the Himalayas. Scientists surveying Antarctica found much more meltwater than they previously […]

The Stream, April 18: Retreating Glacier Shifts Water Flow of Canada Rivers

The Global Rundown A shrinking glacier in Canada changed the direction and amount of water flowing down several rivers in the Yukon. Illegal gold mining in Zimbabwe continues to pose a threat to rivers and forests. Water and sanitation investments remain critical to the fight against cholera in Haiti. Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in […]

The Stream, April 17: Hong Kong Debates New Water Supply Agreement

The Global Rundown Lawmakers in Hong Kong question whether the city should renegotiate its water supply deal with China. Inadequate water flows in the Teesta River are complicating a water sharing agreement between Bangladesh and India. Talks between India and Pakistan over disputed hydropower projects in the Indus Basin have stalled again. A drought in […]

The Stream, April 14: Water Concerns Stymie Brazil Iron Mine

The Global Rundown A mayor in Brazil is refusing to grant water permits to the Samarco iron mine until it funds water quality safeguards. The number of people infected by a cholera outbreak in Somalia could double by summer. This water year is officially the wettest on record in California’s northern Sierra Nevada. A cultural […]

The Stream, April 13: Global WASH Spending Not Enough, WHO Report Finds

The Global Rundown Global spending on water, sanitation, and hygiene programs is not sufficient to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, according to a report by the World Health Organization. Water quality remains poor in many areas of Shanghai, despite environmental progress. Cyclone Cook, making landfall in New Zealand today, could be the country’s […]

The Stream, April 12: Lake Chad Region In Humanitarian And Ecological Crisis

The Global Rundown Food security is suffering in Africa’s Lake Chad Basin due to a confluence of conflict, drought, and declining water levels, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. A report suggests that concerns about water could soon prompt Argentina, Chile, and other Latin American countries to enact stricter environmental […]

The Stream, April 11: Karnataka Says No Water For Farmers

The Global Rundown Government officials in Karnataka say there is not enough water in the state’s reservoirs to provide water for agriculture. Argentina is demanding changes to operations at the Veladero gold mine to reduce the risk of cyanide spills. Researchers found a link between heavy rainfall from El Nino and an increase in cholera […]

The Stream, April 10: California Drought Emergency Declared Over

The Global Rundown Officials declared California’s severe drought at an end last week, more than five years after it began. Damage from extensive flooding in Peru is expected to cost billions of dollars to repair. The Great Barrier Reef has suffered two consecutive years of mass coral bleaching, a problem exacerbated by poor water quality. […]

The Stream, April 7: Bangladesh Hopes Ganges Barrage Will Solve Delta Water Problems

The Global Rundown Bangladesh and India may soon move forward with plans to study a proposed $4 billion dam and reservoir project on the Ganges river. A study in France found that farmers could significantly cut pesticide use without jeopardizing production or profitability. In the United States, researchers in Iowa documented that neonicotinoid pesticides can […]

The Stream, April 6: U.S. Study Finds Extensive Brackish Groundwater Supplies

The Global Rundown Brackish groundwater supplies in the United States equal more than 35 times the amount of fresh groundwater used each year, a new study found. Australia issued a 60-year water license to the controversial Carmichael coal mine project in Queensland. Four coal mining companies in Queensland recently declared force majeure due to flooding […]

The Stream, April 5: Large Hydropower Dams Are Candidates For UN Climate Funding

Three major dam projects in Nepal, the Solomon Islands, and Tajikistan may receive backing from the United Nations’ green climate fund, a move that is opposed by environmental groups. A new map and analysis shows where the United Kingdom is spending its flood defense money. Streams in Switzerland are heavily polluted with agricultural pesticides, a study found. A former U.S. security official warns that climate change will create more conflict and refugees in the Asia-Pacific region. Rainfall from the remnants of Cyclone Debbie flooded New Zealand’s North Island this week. A plan to take groundwater from the Mojave Desert to California cities is one step closer to reality.