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Melting Ice On The Roof Of The World
December 8th, 2009
Via AFP, continued bad news from the roof of the world, namely the glaciers in the Himalayas that sweep through Pakistan, India, China, Nepal and Bhutan, and which provide headwaters for Asia’s nine largest rivers, lifelines for the 1.3 billion people who live downstream. As the article notes: “…Scientists predict that most glaciers will be […]
Read more »Water A Pawn In Central Asian Energy Dispute
December 5th, 2009
Courtesy of EurasiaNet, an interesting report on Uzbekistan’s decision to leave the Central Asia energy grid – which cuts off Tajikistan from importing and exporting electricity – has some Tajik officials suggesting that water supplies to Uzbekistan be restricted during the summer irrigation season. As background, the energy and irrigation infrastructure in Central Asia was […]
Read more »Bolivia’s Real Recession Worries
December 5th, 2009
Courtesy of BBC, an article exploring the impact of receding glaciers in Bolivia and the fears surrounding the future of water supplies in one of Latin America’s fastest-growing urban areas – Bolivia’s sprawling city of La Paz and its neighbour El Alto – and the possibility that it may become the world’s first capital to […]
Read more »Melting Ice = Rising Tensions In Central Asia
November 27th, 2009
Via Registan, an interesting contemplation on the political, social, and economic impacts that glacial retreat in Kyrgyzstan will have upon the neighboring countries of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan in the next 20 years. As the article notes: “…Geologists have recently brought to attention the significant melting of Kyrgyz glaciers Adigene and Petrova. This story is […]
Read more »A Russian Water Grab?
November 24th, 2009
Via Robert Amsterdam, an interesting – if not worrying – article on the Mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, and his keen interest in reversing the flow of northern rivers in Russia. As the article note: “…Water – the oil and gas of the not-too-distant future «…The world community is hoping that Russia will soon become […]
Read more »Singapore and Malaysia Discuss Water
November 22nd, 2009
Via Global Voices Online, a report on the ongoing discussions between Singapore and Malaysia over water. Due to its size and location, Singapore sources about half of its water supply from its neighbor, Malaysia, under two major water agreements, one of which comes due in 2011. As the article notes: “…The 1961 agreement provides for […]
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