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Yemen: Food, Water And The ‘Slow Motion Coup’
February 26th, 2015
Courtesy of Future Directions International, a look at the intrinsic link between Yemen’s food and water insecurity and its political and social instability: Key Points Yemen is the most food insecure country in the Middle East and has the eighth-worst hunger rate globally. Currently, over 10 million Yemenis, or 42.5 per cent of the population, are […]
Read more »Iran’s Dying Wetlands
February 19th, 2015
Via the Financial Times, a detailed look at Iran’s dying wetlands: The fertile Hamoun wetlands on Iran’s border with Afghanistan have a long history. They supported a sophisticated culture in ancient times where, according to legend, Zoroastrianism originated. The verdant landscape was the setting for the epic Persian poem, the Shahnameh. But it has taken […]
Read more »Planned Mongolian Hydroelectric Plants Threaten Lake Baikal
February 19th, 2015
Via the Siberian Times, a report on the potential threat to Lake Baikal posed by Mongolian hydro plants: Levels at Baikal are about 40cm lower than in 2013. Lake Baikal is facing another environmental threat, this time from across the border with plans in Mongolia for a series of new hydroelectric power plants. Campaigners including […]
Read more »Taps Start To Run Dry In Brazil’s Largest City
February 17th, 2015
Courtesy of The New York Times, a report on São Paulo sater crisis which is linked to growth, pollution, and deforestation: Endowed with the Amazon and other mighty rivers, an array of huge dams and one-eighth of the world’s fresh water, Brazil is sometimes called the “Saudi Arabia of water,” so rich in the coveted resource that some liken it to living above […]
Read more »Plan Megacities With Water In Mind
February 16th, 2015
Via South Africa’s Business Day, an interesting look at the rise of megacities and the resulting impact on water stress: MOST of the megacities housing more than 10-million people that will spring up around the world in the next 100 years will be in Africa, which makes it critical to plan now for their sustainability […]
Read more »Industrial Expansion Will Strain Mexico’s Water Resources
February 16th, 2015
Courtesy of STRATFOR (subscription required), analysis of Mexico’s water stress: Much like its northern neighbor, Mexico is not water scarce when viewed as a whole. But unequal water distribution has led to significant water stress in several parts of the country. Supply has been further strained by poor infrastructure, pollution and overuse — partly attributable to inefficient management […]
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