Uniting classic journalism, and data literacy Circle of Blue informs global audiences about the growing competition between water, food, and energy in a changing climate.

Breaking News

In Climate Talks, Plans to Keep Planet from Overheating Should Not Ignore Water

September 23, 2021

Carbon-reduction plans, if not well designed, can worsen water scarcity and pollution.

Toxin Levels Spike, Prompting Drinking Water Emergency in Northern California

September 22, 2021

Cyanotoxins in the state’s second-largest freshwater lake soared this month amid a hot, dry summer.

The Town that Flood-Proofed Itself

September 17, 2021

Ottawa, Illinois learned how to keep its residents out of harms way. But on the river’s edge, safety has often required sacrifice.

Dam Battles Converge on Cambodia’s 3S Rivers

September 15, 2021

The rivers are an ecological bounty in the Mekong watershed. But technical reviews pay little attention to environmental costs of dam building.

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What’s Up With Water condenses global water news into snapshot each week.

This week’s edition of What’s Up With Water includes coverage on:

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Extreme heat and drought in Pakistan
A data-sharing dispute between India and China
Lead levels in Michigan drinking water

2016-07-01 India Rajasthan Jaisalmer JGanter_G3_5835-Edit-2500 (1)

Daily Summary of Global Water News

Nairobi, Kenya, seeks new water sources amid faltering rainfall. The mayor of Flint, Michigan,pledges to fight “unwarranted” state oversight of the city’s water system. South Africa lifts its drought national disaster as dry conditions ease. New research shows that annual storm-related flood damages could double as coral reefs die off. Water service slowly returns across Puerto Rico, but problems remain. Read More

Weekly Digest of U.S. Water Policy and Trends.

Reclamation will review environmental effects of controversial New Mexico water project. Watchdog agency warns Reclamation about insider threats to dam security. Farm Bill passes out of Senate committee. EPA moves forward with WOTUS rule replacement. GAO says that some tribes struggle to operate and maintain water and wastewater systems built by federal grants. House committee approves a bill to restrict legal challenges to a Texas reservoir project. EPA will hold a community meeting in New Hampshire on perfluorinated compounds. And lastly, a Senate committee discusses USAID’s organizational shuffle. Read More

Latest Stories

In Climate Talks, Plans to Keep Planet from Overheating Should Not Ignore Water

September 23, 2021

Carbon-reduction plans, if not well designed, can worsen water scarcity and pollution.

Toxin Levels Spike, Prompting Drinking Water Emergency in Northern California

September 22, 2021

Cyanotoxins in the state’s second-largest freshwater lake soared this month amid a hot, dry summer.

The Town that Flood-Proofed Itself

September 17, 2021

Ottawa, Illinois learned how to keep its residents out of harms way. But on the river’s edge, safety has often required sacrifice.

Dam Battles Converge on Cambodia’s 3S Rivers

September 15, 2021

The rivers are an ecological bounty in the Mekong watershed. But technical reviews pay little attention to environmental costs of dam building.

‘The Opportunity Is Now’: Water Advocates View Upcoming UN Climate Conference as Moment of Relevance

September 15, 2021

Water was overlooked in past global climate talks. Advocates are focusing on the Glasgow meeting to highlight water’s indispensable climate role.

‘Eyes in the Sky’ Help Police California Water Use

September 9, 2021

Satellite data is one monitoring tool regulators turn to in this very dry year.

Amid Extreme Heat and Drought, Line 3 Pipeline Construction Puts Water At Risk

September 3, 2021

State agencies insist — though scientists and indigenous leaders furiously disagree — that waterways won’t be affected.

Hurricane Ida Damages Louisiana Water Systems, Cuts Water Service

September 1, 2021

Nearly two hundred water systems, large and small, are experiencing outages after the powerful storm.

More WaterNews

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HotSpots H2O examines regions and populations that are most at risk from water-related unrest and conflict. It reveals the challenges individuals confront — and the solutions they discover — as they face the greatest challenge of the 21st century: water.

HotSpots H2O: ‘Global Indigenous Agenda’ Calls for Water, Land, and Resource Governance at 2021 IUCN World Congress

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September 13, 2021

The newly released “Global Indigenous Agenda for the Governance of Indigenous Lands, Territories, Waters, Coastal Seas and Natural Resources,” authored by the IUCN Indigenous partner organizations, outlines five goals that together seek to strengthen the relationship between Indigenous land rights and sustainable environmental conservation.

HotSpots H2O: Flash Floods and Landslides Devastate Western Venezuela

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August 30, 2021

Torrential rain fell relentlessly this past week in western Venezuela, producing floods that destroyed over 1,200 buildings and displaced thousands of people.

HotSpots H2O: In Malaysia, the Mah Meri Resist Eviction from Coastal Homeland

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August 23, 2021

In Malaysia, a proposed beach resort dubbed a “world-class eco-city” is threatening to evict Mah Meri families from one of their oldest coastal towns, what is today known as Bagan Lalang.

HotSpots H2O: In Madagascar, Droughts Caused by Climate Change Contribute to Famine

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August 16, 2021

The devastating famine in Madagascar--one of the lowest emitters of carbon and greenhouse gasses in the world--stands out as being heavily influenced by climate change.

How India responds to water challenges in the next months and years will have effects for generations.

Delhi is thirsty, even parched. As the 3rd largest population center in the world, its 25 million people need water, and lots of it, to survive. It’s clear that how India responds in the next months and years will have effects for generations. How will it mange the intensifying competition between water, food and energy in a changing climate?

It’s clear that getting enough water day-by-day is foremost on people’s minds. When the challenge is so great and children so thirsty, people often take their water sources into their own hands. Some entrepreneurs bring water by tank pulled by a tractor, and sell at an inflated rate. Others drill their own unsanctioned wells, some even in the middle of the street.

ChokePoint:

The conflicting demand for water, food, and energy is the defining challenge of our century. Global Choke Point, a collaboration between Circle of Blue and the Wilson Center, explores the peril and promise with frontline reporting, data, and policy expertise.

No one is better positioned to deliver groundbreaking knowledge on the critical resource of global water than Circle of Blue.

Ian Bremmer, President, Eurasia Group

Changing the face of journalism.

American Academy of Arts and Sciences

The combining of journalism, science, data, design and convening power is an innovative model that works.

Hon. Jane Harmon, President, Wilson Center

To respond to the world’s greatest, most urgent challenges, we need trusted information, clear context, and solutions-focused dialogue. Circle of Blue cuts through the complexities of global development. Through knowledge and informed action, we can make a better future.

Henrik Skovby, Executive Chairman, Dalberg Group

I am happy that this meeting is taking place, for it represents yet another stage in the joint commitment of various institutions to raising consciousness about the need to protect water as a treasure belonging to everyone, mindful too of its cultural and religious significance.

Pope Francis