YOUR GLOBAL RUNDOWN

• Groundwater table levels drop for the second month in a row in Hyderabad, India.
• A Native American tribe in Arizona is opposing a mining project on culturally significant land.
• Reservoirs throughout Montana are running low due to water scarcity in the Upper Missouri River basin.
• A recent study could help scientists understand how hurricanes and volcanic eruptions affect groundwater in Hawai’i.

Amid severe drought, a famous lake in Taiwan is running dry.

“When you face water shortages, you treasure the water. When you don’t have it, you’re always thinking about the times you did.” – Rika Tseng, who lives in Taiwan. The Guardian reports that as Taiwan continues to experience its worst drought in 56 years, the island’s Sun Moon Lake is so low that parts of it have dried and turned to grass. Usually one of the island’s most popular tourist destinations, the drying lake illustrates the larger water crisis Taiwan faces. Other reservoirs around the country are dry too, and some experts think the island could face another year without a major typhoon to replenish them.

IN RECENT WATER NEWS

In Case You Missed It:

What’s Up With Water – May 10, 2021 – This week’s episode covers Brazil, where officials privatized the water and sewage utility in Rio de Janeiro, and environmental advocates in Florida, who filed a lawsuit on behalf of Orange County’s rivers and wetlands.

HotSpots H2O: Water and Land Disputes Turn Violent Along Ambiguous Kyrgyz-Tajik Border – Distrust between Kyrgyz and Tajik ethnic groups is exacerbated by extreme water security.

Navajo-Gallup Water Delay Spurs Problem Solving in Arid Southwest – Earlier this year, five of Gallup, New Mexico’s water wells stopped producing water. The shortage isn’t wholly surprising. This piece is part of the Institute for Nonprofit News’ Tapped Out collaboration, which explores power, justice & water in the West.

Quechan Tribe Opposes Potential Mining Project on Cultural Lands

The Quechan Tribe in Arizona is trying to stop a Canadian company from opening a giant mining operation on culturally significant land, AZ Central reports. While the company’s CEO says the project won’t cause permanent damage to land or poison local ground and surface waters, the tribe still opposes it out of an abundance of caution. The project will likely face intense scrutiny from the Biden administration, which has prioritized conservation.

TODAY’S TOP WATER STORIES, TOLD IN NUMBERS

2 MONTHS

Groundwater table levels in Hyderabad have depleted for the last two months, the Times of India reports. Officials say several factors could be contributing to water scarcity, including a second wave of Covid-19 throughout India and a resurgence of real estate business and construction projects.

123 YEARS

The Upper Missouri River basin recorded its ninth-driest April in 123 years of record keeping, the Associated Press reports. As a result of low water levels, reservoirs throughout Montana are far below average capacities. John Remus, chief of the Missouri River Basin Water Management Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, urged water users to begin preparing for lower river levels in the coming months.

ON THE RADAR

A recent study showed how volcanic eruptions and hurricanes can affect rainfall in Hawai’i, Big Island Now reports. Researchers measured hydrogen and oxygen isotopes and the chemical composition of rainfall across Hawai’i Island to help identify how and where groundwater is recharged.

• In context: For Honolulu, Rising Seas Deliver Flood Risks Three Ways

Jane Johnston

Jane is a Communications Associate for Circle of Blue. She writes The Stream and has covered domestic and international water issues for Circle of Blue. She is a recent graduate of Grand Valley State University, where she studied Multimedia Journalism and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. During her time at Grand Valley, she was the host of the Community Service Learning Center podcast Be the Change. Currently based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jane enjoys listening to music, reading and spending time outdoors.