BLOG
Three Major U.S. River Basins: “Out of Balance”
December 31st, 2025
Via Sustainable Waters, a sobering reflection on three major river basins in the western U.S.: ‘Sustainability’ is a foundational tenet of modern natural resource management. The concept of sustainable development gained global recognition in 1987 when the United Nations’ Brundtland Commission published its report on Our Common Future, in which sustainable development was defined as “meeting the […]
Read more »The Colorado River Is On Verge of Crisis. No One Has A Solution.
December 23rd, 2025
Via The Washington Post, a report on how current rules for sharing the Colorado River expire next year, risking water supply and power generation: When Carly Jerla left her home in the Rocky Mountains to attend the annual conference of the most bitterly contested river in the American West, the signs around her were grim: […]
Read more »Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: Can Ethiopia Become Africa’s Powerhouse?
December 19th, 2025
Via The Africa Report, a review of GERD thus far and how technical flaws, grid frailties and geopolitical tensions have meant the project has yet to deliver for the continent: The promises are immense. Last September, after 14 years of construction, Ethiopia inaugurated its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile. Standing 175m tall and spanning two […]
Read more »Colorado River Deadlines & Incentives
December 17th, 2025
Via JFleck at Inkstain, a summary of Colorado River deadlines and incentives: Key Takeaways The consensus-based effort to develop new rules to manage the Colorado River system hasn’t worked – it’s time for a new approach Federal leadership and the credible threat of managing reservoirs to protect the system is that new approach Missing Deadlines […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon and Parched Tiger: India and China in Deep Water over Himalayan Hydropower
December 15th, 2025
Via East Asia Forum, a report on how India’s US$77 billion Brahmaputra hydropower initiative and China’s mega-dam at the Yarlung–Tsangpo Great Bend are turning the Himalayas into a digital hydropower flashpoint. Both states are tying dams to AI-enabled grids and data centres, but share no mechanism to manage the Brahmaputra. As China preserves its ‘hydrological […]
Read more »Colorado River Water Is Too Cheap, Particularly for Agricultural Users
December 14th, 2025
Courtesy of Inside Climate News, analysis of a new report from UCLA and the Natural Resources Defense Council which found nearly a quarter of Colorado River water is basically provided for free by the federal government: Colorado River water is not priced at rates that accurately reflect its scarcity, incentivizing inefficiency and overconsumption as climate […]
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