BLOG
US Decisions Can Worsen Yemen’s Water Crisis or Alleviate it
July 17th, 2017
Via The Atlantic Council, a report on how – in Yemen – if the US and Saudi backed coalition truly wants to turn the tide of war in their favor, its key concern should be water, not warheads: Yemen is currently facing the region’s most severe water crisis. More than half of the population does […]
Read more »Is Myanmar’s Myitsone Dam Damned?
July 15th, 2017
Via East Asia Forum, an update on the planned Myitsone dam project: On a visit to a camp for internally displaced persons in Kachin State, the words of an interviewee were crystal clear: ‘China is coming to Myanmar for its own profits. When they invest, the Chinese bring their own labour and they discriminate. They […]
Read more »Israel, Palestinian Water Agreement: Glass Half Empty?
July 14th, 2017
Courtesy of STRATFOR (subscription required), a report on a new water agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Territories: Israel and the Palestinian Authority signed a water-sharing agreement under U.S. mediation. Israel agreed to provide 32 million cubic meters (about 8.5 billion gallons) of water annually to the Palestinian territories. Though the agreement is an advancement […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Groundwater Shortage Calls For Urgent Action
July 13th, 2017
Via China Water Risk, a report on China’s groundwater crisis: Highlights Beijing’s non-capital functions are moving to Xiongan New Area amidst groundwater over-extraction & subsidence With water tariffs at <1/2 of those in the developed world, China needs a more aggressive volumetric pricing strategy Both China’s econ & environ sustainability are at stake China’s decision […]
Read more »U.S. Midwest: Groundwater Pumping Drying Streams, Driving Fish Extinctions
July 12th, 2017
Via EurekAlert, a sobering article on the impact of groundwater pumping in the Midwest: Farmers in the Great Plains of Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas and the panhandle of Texas produce about one-sixth of the world’s grain, and water for these crops comes from the High Plains Aquifer — often known as the Ogallala Aquifer — the […]
Read more »The Parched Tiger: India’s Gilgit-Baltistan Problem
July 12th, 2017
Via Future Directions International, a detailed look at India’s objections to Pakistan’s purported plan to merge Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) as its fifth province, based partially on water issues: Key Points Pakistan’s Kashmir-centric rhetoric notwithstanding, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) is of greater importance to it as this region is vital for its water, energy and conventional security. The importance of […]
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