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Climate Change and Water Scarcity: Long-Simmering Factors In Iran Unrest
February 14th, 2018
Via the Los Angeles Times, a look at the role that climate change and water scarcity have in Iran’s current unsettled times: In the mountains of western Iran, the province of Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari is known for mile-high lagoons, flowing rivers and wetlands that attract thousands of species of migratory birds. But years of diminishing rainfall have […]
Read more »Iran Drought Here to Stay
February 14th, 2018
Via The Financial Tribune, an article on how the prospect of Iran’s drought recovery is bleak with precipitation continuing to decline for decades: Latest statistics by the National Drought Warning and Monitoring Center show that this year’s autumn (Sept. 23-Dec. 21) was the driest over the past 67 years, with precipitation levels declining by 53% […]
Read more »Central Asia: Countries With Water Need Their Neighbors With Energy
February 9th, 2018
Via Geopolitical Futures, an interesting article on Central Asian countries efforts to find solutions to internal regional problems such as water without Moscow’s help: Say what you will about the Soviets, but they really knew how to put the “union” in the Soviet Union. For all its faults, the union bound its constituent countries together, […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Climate Change and Economic Growth Drive Water Scarcity On Tibetan Plateau
February 9th, 2018
Via the Woodrow Wilson Centre’s New Security Beat, an interesting look at the impact of climate change and cconomic growth on water scarcity on the Tibetan Plateau: I pulled my horse to a stop along the banks of a little stream, which was wedged between two grassy hills speckled with wildflowers and pika holes, to admire the […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Kazakhstan Focuses On Water Dfficiency To Ease Water Sharing With China
February 8th, 2018
Via Third Pole, a look at how policymakers in Kazakhstan are shifting their focus to domestic water saving measures to reduce reliance on river water flowing from China: The use of water of transboundary rivers is a sensitive economic, environmental, and political issue in Central Asia. In Kazakhstan, the government is now shifting focus to […]
Read more »After Cape Town, More African Cities Face Water Crisis
February 7th, 2018
Via Voice of America, a report on potential future African water crises: African cities need to better plan and invest in water infrastructure, global accounting firm Deloitte said on Tuesday, as Cape Town counts down to dry taps due to severe drought. Officials predict taps in the South African city will run out of water […]
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