BLOG
Iraq Battles A New Enemy: Water Shortages
December 13th, 2017
Via The Daily Mail, an article on Iraq’s water problems: After years battling Islamic State militants, Iraqi farmers – many of them military volunteers – are now returning to their homes and fields only to find a new threat: a shortage of water. Construction of dams and other water-holding facilities in upstream Turkey and Iran, […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon and Parched Tiger: India Says Chinese Construction Dirtying Water
December 13th, 2017
Via ABCNews, a report on Indian complaints that Chinese upstream activity is disturbing the Brahmaputra river: Officials in India’s northeast are complaining that Chinese construction activity on the upper reaches of one of the largest rivers that flows into India are likely turning the waters downstream turbid and unfit for human consumption. Over the weekend, Sarbananda Sonowal, […]
Read more »‘Blue Gold’ – Turkey’s Key To The ‘Dry Crescent’
December 11th, 2017
Via Global Risk Insights, a report on the impact of Turkey’s efforts to control the headwaters of key water resources in Syria and Iraq: Next year will mark a full century since the Ottoman Empire lost control of the areas now known as Syria and Iraq. Now Turkey is pursuing an increasingly nationalistic and assertive foreign […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: World’s Largest Water Diversion Plan Won’t Quench China’s Thirst
December 11th, 2017
Via Bloomberg, an article on China’s south-to-north diversion project: Autumn rains came too late to save the stunted stalks of Shu Xinguo’s corn crop, withered by a dry July growing season. “We rely on the weather for our living,” said Shu, weary and resigned, his tanned hands hoisting bundles of his remaining crop — green […]
Read more »Will Cape Town Run Out of Water?
December 11th, 2017
Via Bloomberg, a report on Cape Town’s water crisis: Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille says she has a new reason to hate Mondays. That’s when she gets weekly reports on levels in the dams that supply South Africa’s second-biggest city, and on how much water its 4 million residents are using. The numbers regularly […]
Read more »The New Water Wars Reshaping America
December 8th, 2017
Via Ozy, a report on water politics in America: Pawhuska, in northern Oklahoma, is the capital of the Osage Nation. Surrounded by ranchers and farmers, its downtown economy was historically fed by a brick plant, a creamery, an ice factory and a rock crusher. Nowadays, even those job creators are gone. Replacing them are a […]
Read more »