Entries by Nadya Ivanova

The Stream, July 5: Africa’s Shrinking Glaciers

A team of scientists and photographers has embarked on a mission to document Africa’s melting glaciers, according to the Guardian. A southwestern Chinese city has cancelled plans to build a multimillion-pound copper alloy plant amid anti-pollution demonstrations that lasted for days, the Guardian reported. Water supply cuts in New Delhi have made this year’s summer […]

The Stream, July 3: India’s Looming Food Crisis

Food Millions of tons of grain in India are at major risk at the moment as they are lying in the open, exposed to scorching summer heat and monsoon rains, according to Reuters. This story looks at the country’s rigid regime of subsidies for grain farmers, the lack of storage facilities and the inefficient, broken […]

The Stream, July 2: New Modeling for Australia’s Murray-Darling River?

Australian state and federal water ministers have agreed for new modeling to be done on returning more environmental flows to the ailing Murray-Darling river system, ABC Radio Australia reported. As Circle of Blue has reported previously, the process to adopt new water use regulations for the basin has pitted states against states and environmentalists against […]

The Stream, June 28: Nutrient Pollution Choking the Mississippi River

What does Chicago have to do with the growing algae blooms in the Gulf of Mexico? Nutrient pollution from the Windy City and from agriculture in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa is pushing the Mississippi River to the brink of ecological disaster, according to The Economist. A key California Senate panel has supported legislation that would […]

The Stream, June 26: U.S. Supreme Court Awards Georgia in Tri-State Water Dispute

Tough verdict on Rio+20 from author George Monbiot: governments have given up on the planet, he writes for the Guardian. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday secured metro Atlanta’s claim to water from Lake Lanier, granting Georgia a big legal victory in its long-standing water rights dispute with Florida and Alabama, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. […]

The Stream, June 25: Water Pricing in China

China will introduce a new water pricing mechanism by 2015, the Xinhua news agency reported. According to the new plan, water rates will rise exponentially as water consumption increases. Peruvian president Ollanta Humala said on Saturday that the Newmont Mining Corporation would guarantee ample water supplies for towns near its proposed Conga gold mine, Reuters […]

The Stream, June 21: How Much Water Does Fracking Use?

The Peruvian government’s attempts to tighten the screws on illegal gold mining, and reduce its environmental and health impacts are causing a backlash in many local communities, Nature reported. Meanwhile, scientists monitoring mining’s impacts are on the front lines of a battle between miners, environ­mental campaigners and the authorities. Are world leaders settling for too […]

The Stream, June 19: Severe Drought Hits North Korea

A severe drought has gripped one of North Korea’s breadbasket provinces, raising fears of a worsening food crisis, AFP reported. The country suffers chronic food shortages, often exacerbated by floods, droughts, mismanagement and dwindling international aid. Ensuring food supplies for China’s growing population and economy is expected to be a key goal for Chinese Premier […]

The Stream, June 18: What’s the Potential of Green Accounting?

Can putting a monetary value on natural resources reign in unfettered development? The Associated Press reports on the complex evolution of green accounting. Expectations are running low days before the Rio+20 global summit on sustainable development, The Wall Street Journal says, but can a different approach focused on “bottom up” efforts, local solutions and smaller […]

Provincial Differences: Green Hunan and Dry Gansu

Circle of Blue reporter Nadya Ivanova starts her second of three weeks reporting in the field from China, where she wonders about the effects of regional development and pollution on farming practices.

The Stream, May 22: Water, Food Crisis Driving Instability in Yemen

The European Union will provide additional humanitarian aid to Yemen this year to help relieve a water, food and fuel crisis that threatens to further destabilize the conflict-torn country, Reuters reported, citing the EU humanitarian aid chief Kristalina Georgieva. Food and water are also growing scarce in Timbuktu in northern Mali, ever since rebels took […]

The Stream, May 21: Negotiations on the Murray-Darling Draft Plan

The negotiations on a final plan for Australia’s Murray-Darling river system are well under way, with South Australian water officials summoned to give evidence to the federal parliament this week, The Australian reported. South Australia has lashed the draft plan for the basin, saying that it does not return enough water to the environment. Many […]