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A Third of the US Is Stuck In a Drought. It Could Get Worse
October 7th, 2023
Via The Messenger, a report on U.S. drought, where hot and dry conditions have persisted for 11 weeks straight across much of the nation: After the hottest September on record, about one-third of the United States is experiencing drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The conditions have persisted for 11 weeks straight. Higher-than-average temperatures […]
Read more »How To Measure All The World’s Fresh Water
October 5th, 2023
Courtesy of MIT Technology Review, a look at how remote sensing has made it easier for scientists to monitor rivers, lakes, and reservoirs: The Congo River is the world’s second-largest river system after the Amazon. More than 75 million people depend on it for food and water, as do thousands of species of plants and […]
Read more »Arizona Moves to End Saudi Farm’s Controversial Groundwater Deals
October 5th, 2023
Via AZCentral, a report on Arizona’s move to end a Saudi farm’s controversial groundwater deals to grow, export alfalfa: Gov. Katie Hobbs’ administration on Monday announced two steps to stop a controversial Saudi Arabian company from using groundwater beneath state land in western Arizona to grow and export alfalfa. Hobbs said in a statement that […]
Read more »California Will Have Less Water In The Future, and What It May Mean
October 5th, 2023
Via The Sacramento Bee, commentary on California’s water future: The Newsom administration is taking steps to lower your water use in the coming years, and for some communities — by a lot. In the Sacramento County city of Folsom for example, residents are tentatively projected to face water cutbacks of 15% for homes and outdoor […]
Read more »Amazon Drought Cuts River Traffic, Leaves Communities Without Water
October 5th, 2023
Via Mongabay, a report on Brazil’s Amazon drought: Falling water levels in the rivers and lakes of the Brazilian Amazon are restricting the flow of ships and boats, the main form of transport in the region and the only means of access to health and education facilities for many communities. This year’s drought is exacerbated […]
Read more »Reevaluating The Forgotten River Civilizations of Central Asia
October 5th, 2023
Via PNAS, an interesting paper examining the Aral Sea basin in Central Asia in which its major rivers, the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, were the center of advanced river civilizations, and a principal hub of the Silk Roads over a period of more than 2,000 y. The region’s decline has been traditionally attributed to […]
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