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Syria: Uncertainty Following the Damascus Water Crisis
January 25th, 2017
Courtesy of Future Directions International, commentary on the Damascus water crisis: In late December 2016, the main water supply for Damascus and its surrounding region was cut off. The supply was reportedly cut off in the Wadi Barada area west of Damascus due to intense fighting between rebels and government forces over the area. Other […]
Read more »Afghan Authorities Accuse Iran of Using Taliban to Undercut Water Projects
January 24th, 2017
Via VoA, a report on recent water-related tensions between Afghanistan and Iran: Afghan governors in southern and western provinces charged on Monday that Iran is using an increasingly close relationship with the Afghan Taliban to target power and water projects on Tehran’s behalf. Hayatullah Hayat, the governor of southern Helmand province, told VOA’s Afghan service […]
Read more »New Plant Tries To Head Off Gaza Water Crisis
January 20th, 2017
Via Terra Daily, a report on a new desalination plant that hopes to head off a Gaza water crisis: The largest desalination plant in the Gaza Strip partially opened Thursday with international help as the impoverished and blockaded Palestinian enclave seeks to prevent a water crisis. The first phase of the plant opened in Deir […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Chinese Hydropower Impacts Mekong River Flow
January 14th, 2017
Via Terra Daily, a report on the impact of Chinese hydropower on the Mekong River: A study led by researchers from Aalto University in Finland reveals that the hydropower projects in China have caused major river flow changes to the Mekong River since the year 2011. An analysis of river flows in Northern Thailand indicates […]
Read more »The Parched Tiger: A Familiar Dispute in the Indus River Valley
January 12th, 2017
Via STRATFOR (subscription required), additional analysis of tensions over the Indus River: For centuries, control of the Indus River Basin’s waters has been a point of contention among the region’s inhabitants. Since 1960, the Indus Waters Treaty has governed use of the region’s water between India and Pakistan. But late in 2016, a flare-up between […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: China’s Water Stress Is on the Rise
January 10th, 2017
Via the World Resources Institute, a look at China’s water stress: Water stress levels in many parts of China are very high, due to low levels of water supply and very high levels of demand. And new research shows the situation is worsening. Using the baseline water stress metric developed for WRI’s Aqueduct Water Risk […]
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