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Tasmania: Betting On Water To Revive Its Fortunes
February 29th, 2016
Courtesy of The Economist, a look at Tasmania’s new course around turning water into wealth: FOR 27 years Yvonne and Noel Gerke ran a transport business, hauling logs from Tasmania’s forests to mills grinding woodchips for customers in Japan and elsewhere in Asia. Then came the global financial downturn as well as campaigns to protect […]
Read more »Somalia’s Drought Disaster: Losing 80% of Animals And Buying a Little Water For $120
February 21st, 2016
Via the Mail & Guardian, a sobering report on the impact of drought in Somalia: Two consecutive seasons of drought across northern Somalia are driving tens of thousands of pastoralists into hunger and debt. Abdilahi Mohamed had 20 cattle in August. Only five now survive. He herded his animals 250 kilometres – from his home […]
Read more »Worldwide Water Shortages: Worse Than Thought?
February 12th, 2016
Via Mother Jones, an article on a new study that suggests world water shortages may be worse than currently thought: The world’s water crisis might be much worse than we thought. Four billion people, or two-thirds of the global population, face severe water shortages for at least one month out the year, according to a study […]
Read more »Can Myanmar Avoid Conflict Pitfalls In Its Hydro Blitz?
January 27th, 2016
Via the Wilson Center, a look at Myanmar’s forthcoming watergy dilemma – namely the choice between hydro power and water: Myanmar is undergoing multiple transitions, from military rule to democracy, decades of civil war to peace, and from a command economy to a market-based one. No less of an important challenge amidst this backdrop of […]
Read more »Algeria’s Water Scarcity Challenge
January 20th, 2016
Courtesy of STRATFOR (subscription required), detailed analysis of Algeria’s water scarcity challenge: Considering that the Sahara Desert covers most of Algeria, it comes as no surprise that the country is a water-scarce nation. Beyond the severity of its climate and geography, however, overexploitation is degrading Algeria’s naturally available water resources to an alarming extent. To […]
Read more »World Economic Forum Ranks Water Crises As Top Long-term Risk
January 14th, 2016
Courtesy of Circle of Blue, commentary on the World Economic Forum’s recent report that shows that water is connected to the world’s most severe problems: An annual survey of the world’s business, political, and scholarly elite reinforces a message that leaders are beginning to understand with greater depth and clarity: pay attention to water. The […]
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