Global Rundown
UN food agency warns of a ‘systematic shock’ to global food production from the U.S. war against Iran.
Kuwait electricity and water ministry reports damage to a service building at a power and desalination facility from an Iranian airstrike.
New research identifies patterns of household water insecurity in the Americas, where Peru, Honduras, and Venezuela rank as most water insecure.
Airborne snow survey finds that a basin in Arizona lost 90 percent of its snowpack in three weeks between February and March, reflecting terrible snow conditions across the American West.
The Lead
Water insecurity troubles households across the Western Hemisphere, according to new research from Northwestern University. The study is based on data collected from 27,000 households in 17 countries.
The highest prevalence of water insecurity was in Peru, where nearly half of respondents reported problems with water access, use, or reliability. Honduras and Venezuela were second and third by this metric.
The United States is not immune, either. Ten percent of respondents reported anger over water challenges in the previous year.
The study takes a more nuanced approach to household water use. Traditional metrics look mainly at infrastructure. Does the home have a piped water connection? This study asked whether water service is reliable and available in sufficient quantity or quality. And it considered who does and does not have access.
“The better we understand how water insecurity manifests at the individual and household levels, the better decision makers can set the conditions to ensure stable, affordable and safe access in the face of diverse and expanding challenges,” said Sera Young, senior author and professor of anthropology and global health at Northwestern.
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This Week’s Top Water Stories, Told In Numbers
An airborne snow survey found that a basin in Arizona lost 90 percent of its snowpack in the three weeks ending on March 12.
The snow survey over the state’s northeastern mountains provides a detailed assessment of water supply conditions in the Salt River watershed, which is a main supply source for the Phoenix metro area.
Snowpack in the western United States this winter has largely been terrible. Colorado witnessed its lowest snowpack on record. The consequences will be expressed this summer in low stream flows, water shortages, and a high wildfire risk.
On the Radar
The chief economist of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned that the U.S. war against Iran is sending shockwaves through global food markets as input costs – including fertilizer and fuel to drive farm equipment and irrigation pumps – spike.
“Farmers are facing a dual cost shock: they have more expensive fertilizers alongside rising fuel costs affecting the entire agricultural value chain, including irrigation and transport,” Máximo Torero said.
According to Torero, the consequences of the war on the global food system rest on several factors. One is the war’s length. A shorter conflict means less disruption. Another is location. Countries that rely on food and fertilizer imports or are already food insecure are more exposed. Egypt, for instance, imports a lot of wheat. And countries in eastern Africa import a lot of fertilizer.
Meanwhile, desalination plants in the Gulf continue to be targeted.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy announced that a service building at one of its power and desalination facilities was hit by an airstrike. One worker was killed, but the water supply system is stable, CNBC reports.
In context: Could Iran Disrupt the Gulf Countries’ Desalinated Water Supplies?
