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Water Squabbles Irrigate Tensions in Central Asia
June 17th, 2008
Via Reuters, more on water-related tensions in Central Asia: “…Gulbakhor’s despair, shared by millions of Tajiks in this tiny ex-Soviet nation north of Afghanistan, reflects a growing sense of alarm throughout Central Asia where stability depends on the region’s scarcest and most precious commodity: water. From tiny irrigation canals to the powerful Soviet-era hydroelectric plants, […]
Read more »Water shortages in Kyrgyzstan Cause Serious Problems in Uzbekistan
June 17th, 2008
From Eurasia.net, a report that low water levels in the Toktogul dam of Kyrgyzstan are having an adverse impact on Uzbek agriculture, as Toktogul is the main water reservoir in Fergana Valley. As the article notes: “…Uzbekistan is already having problems with irrigation of cotton fields in its Fergana valley part. The abnormal weather – […]
Read more »T. Boone Pickens: Water is the New Oil
June 13th, 2008
As recently reported by Business Week, T. Boone Pickens thinks water is the “new oil’ and he’s betting $100 million that he is correct. As the article notes: “…Pickens has also bought up the rights to a considerable amount of water that lies below this part of the High Plains in a vast aquifer that […]
Read more »Emerging Water Shortages
June 8th, 2008
Via YubaNet.com, an insightful adaptation of Chapter 4, “Emerging Water Shortages,” from Lester R. Brown’s Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization. It details a number of countries that are overpumping aquifers as they struggle to satisfy their growing water needs, including the big three grain producers–China, India, and the United States. But, as the […]
Read more »Water-Starved California Slows Development
June 7th, 2008
As California faces one of its worst droughts in two decades, The New York Times reports that building projects are being curtailed for the first time under state law by the inability of developers to find long-term water supplies. As the article notes: “…Water authorities and other government agencies scattered throughout the state, including here […]
Read more »A Middle East Water Grid?
June 7th, 2008
From The Jerusalem Report, a detailed look at a grandiose plan that would put an end to the acute water shortage plaguing Israel and its neighbors. As noted in the article, all three parties – Israel, Syria, and Turkey – are reportedly intrigued by the possibilities of the blueprint, based on an ambitious Turkish scheme […]
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