BLOG
Can Water Markets Help Iran?
October 8th, 2019
Via The Iran Project, an interesting look at the potential for waters to help quench Iran’s growing thirst: Managing limited resources of water has long been a challenge not only to water users but also policymakers in most countries. Iran is no exception. Geological studies in Iran show that shortages of this vital resource will […]
Read more »Afghanistan: Water Management For Peace
October 7th, 2019
Courtesy of The Lowry Institute, a report on how Afghan efforts to formalize agreements with neighbouring countries over water usage could go a long way towards preventing conflict: In the optimistic view, Afghanistan is closer to peace today than at any time in the past decades. The presidential election last weekend may have been hampered by low turnout, […]
Read more »Global River Flows Declining
October 3rd, 2019
Via Bloomberg, a report on how groundwater pumping in some of the world’s critical watersheds is exceeding safe levels and causing surface waters to fall at an alarming rate: Another slow-motion, man-made environmental disaster has been discovered, and it’s underneath your feet. About 70% of the water pumped out of underground aquifers worldwide is used […]
Read more »Great Lakes’ Biggest Worries Much Closer To Home Than Arid Southwest
October 3rd, 2019
Via Chicago Business, a look at how thirsty businesses and unsustainable groundwater use by agriculture pose the biggest threats to the Midwest’s water supply: A few years ago, a Michigan billboard—reading “Back off suckers: Water diversion . . . the last straw”—showed caricatures of Southwestern states with giant straws going into the Great Lakes. Is […]
Read more »Beyond Seasonable Drought: Precipitation Paucity Pushes Panama Towards A Precipice
September 28th, 2019
Via The Economist, a look at how climate change threatens the Panama Canal: Take in the view from atop Gatun dam and fathom what is missing. Container ships float idly on Lake Gatun, near the midpoint of the Panama Canal, awaiting passage to the Caribbean sea, their gateway to the Atlantic Ocean. What look like […]
Read more »The ‘Third Pole’: Very High and Drying
September 28th, 2019
Via AirMail, a report on the issues of climate change on Asia’s water tower in the Himalaya: Many moons ago in Tibet, the Second Buddha transformed a fierce nyen (a malevolent mountain demon) into a neri (the holiest protective warrior god) called Khawa Karpo, who took up residence in the sacred mountain bearing his name. Khawa Karpo is the […]
Read more »