Water Crisis Uproots Syrian Farmers
July 27, 2009 by Editor
Filed under World's Water
By Khaled Yacoub Oweis
SHAIZAR CASTLE, Syria (Reuters) – Only a few decades ago, fish were plentiful in the Orontes river which for thousands of years has provided water to the lush Syrian plains, at the crossroads of the ancient world.
These days the Orontes’s 12th century norias, enormous water wheels famous for their distinctive creak, barely turn in the weak tides. Algae covers the river’s surface and the desert has been closing in.
“The river has become so polluted. The quality of our produce has suffered and there is barely enough now to feed my family,” said 80-year-old farmer Mohammad al-Hamdo.
Syria’s worst drought in decades has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and raised calls for a coordinated water policy for the Middle East as the region faces a dryer climate and water supplies depleted by damming and water well drilling.
Yet whether a coordinated water policy is even possible is in doubt in a region riven by tensions and rivalry and where water politics is often seen as a zero-sum game.
The Euphrates River, which flows from Turkey through Syria and Iraq, is polluted and salinized. Damming by Turkey and demands for water by ballooning populations have drastically reduced its flow.
Mohammed Okla is among an estimated 200,000 to 250,000 Syrian farmers and their families who in the past three years have been forced to abandon their land due to drought, according to a recent United Nations study.
“I lost two-third of my cattle after the water wells dried up,” said Okla, who fled the badly-hit eastern Hasaka province five months ago and now lives in a tent with his two wives and 15 children next to the main garbage dump in Damascus.
Okla’s family have turned from wheat and cattle farmers into virtual refugees. Flies cover the faces of his barefooted children who play among scraps of metal and trash pulled from the dump as substitute toys
A recent United Nations study said the drought now covers over 60 percent of Syria’s land mass and 1.3 million people have been affected so far, with regions around Damascus, Aleppo and Hamah receiving the bulk of the displaced.
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Source: Reuters
Water Decision Leaves Atlanta High and Dry
July 18, 2009 by Editor
Filed under The Southeast
By Jay Bookman, AJC
Yesterday’s ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson, denying metro Atlanta access to water stored at Lake Lanier, leaves the metro region up the creek.
Let me be more specific: Up a bone-dry creek.
The potential impact of the decision is disastrous. Magnuson ruled that with the exception of Buford and Gainesville, the metro region has no right to withdraw water from Lake Lanier, and no right to store water there against future drought.
The state was given three years to try to get Congress to alter its authorized purposes for Buford Dam. If it is unsuccessful, Magnuson ruled, “the operation of Buford Dam will return to the ‘baseline’ operation of the mid-1970s. Thus, the required off-peak flow will be 600 cfs and only Gainesville and Buford will be allowed to withdraw water from the lake. The Court recognizes that this is a draconian result. It is, however, the only result that recognizes how far the operation of the Buford project has strayed from the original authorization.”
At first blush, it’s likely that Gwinnett County would face drastic and immediate water shortages if that occurred. Its whole sewer and water infrastructure, and the bonded indebtedness that financed it, is predicated on access to Lake Lanier. The impact on the rest of metro Atlanta would be less immediate but severe, particularly in times of drought.
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Source: AJC
Matt Damon Joins the Water Cause
July 15, 2009 by Editor
Filed under World's Water
Celebrity is a kind of capital. If you’re famous, and especially if you’re sexy and famous, your name easily brings money and media attention of the sort other nonprofits struggle to obtain to your chosen charity.
The sexy, famous, and talented Mr. Damon has used his celebrity to advance causes linked to poverty, which has led him to an interest in safe drinking water.
Today, Matt Damon announced a merger of an organization he co-founded, H2O Africa, with the global group WaterPartners to form Water.org.
Damon’s role is largely ceremonial, with the former director of WaterPartners, Gary White, staying on to head up Water.org. Damon explained, “As a clear leader in the sector at delivering innovative and sustainable solutions for those in need, WaterPartners was the natural choice with whom to work to truly affect lasting change.”
As for his interest in water? “Every 15 seconds,” Damon says, “a child in the developing world dies from water-related disease.” Indeed, the new group’s website says a billion people are without safe water.
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Source: San Francisco Gate
U.N. report predicts worsening freshwater supplies
March 11, 2009 by Editor
Filed under World's Water
Population growth, climate change and demand for greater food and energy supplies are squeezing global water supplies, according to a new U.N. report.
Water problems are often worst in developing countries, where water availability and prosperity are closely linked, says the report produced by 24 U.N. agencies and scheduled for official release tomorrow.
The report warns that mismanagement of water supplies has created problems that are “enormous … but not insurmountable” — if major policy shifts are made.
“Water is linked to the crises of climate change, energy and food supplies and prices, and troubled financial markets,” the report says. “Unless their links with water are addressed and water crises around the world are resolved, these other crises may intensify and local water crises may worsen, converging into a global water crisis and leading to political insecurity and conflict at various levels.”
A major factor affecting water availability is a surging global population, which the United Nations says could swell from 6.7 billion in 2008 to 9 billion by 2050.
And more and more of those people are living in urban areas, with much of that shift occuring in the poorest countries. That forces governments to rely on rivers and aquifers polluted by growing human settlements.
“Coping with a future without reliable water resource systems is now a real prospect in parts of the world,” the report warns.
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Source: The New York Times
Have we reached peak water?
March 10, 2009 by Editor
Filed under World's Water
We all know about peak oil, but peak water? Water expert Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute poses the possibility that, despite the vast amounts of water on “Planet Ocean,” we may be running out of sustainably managed water.
What is sustainably managed water? This term relates to the way we use, manage and abuse the fresh water that is regularly replenished by precipitation. In several places in the world, such as the southwestern United States and China, so much fresh water is withdrawn that rivers have actually dried up before they reach the sea.
“Humans already appropriate over 50 per cent of all renewable and accessible freshwater flows,” said Gleick, “and yet billions still lack the most basic water services.” It could be difficult in many places to find additional fresh water to bring the level of water services to a higher standard for those without sufficient water.
People are increasingly turning to aquifers to supply water, but the deeper aquifers are not replenished from precipitation, at least not in the short term, so cannot be classed as sustainable. Wells are drilled deeper and deeper to find water, increasing the cost and energy used to supply water.
Energy use, water and climate change are intimately linked.
Water transportation, storage and treatment are major users of energy and producers of greenhouse gases. In California, the source of much of North America’s vegetables and fruits, water accounts for about 19 per cent of the state’s electricity use.
Since irrigation is a major user of energy, Gleick points out that policies that lead to reduced water consumption could address climate change more efficiently than requiring businesses and households to use less energy.
“Some of the cheapest greenhouse-gas emission reductions available seem to be not energy-efficiency programs, but water-efficiency programs,” said Gleick.
Water efficiency helps fight global warming, but global warming is also reducing rainfall and causing people to dig deeper wells, requiring more energy for pumping.
In China, drought is affecting the northern wheat belt and nearly four million people are without proper drinking water. After declaring an emergency “rarely seen in history,” the government said it plans to send cloud-seeding rockets into the air to encourage rain, and to redirect portions of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers.
Many regions of China fit into Gleick’s definition of peak water (for more information on this, visit www.worldwater.org.)
“China is an example where (water) problems come together in the worst ways on the planet,” said Gleick. “Water resources are over-allocated, over-used, and grossly polluted by human and industrial waste.”
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Source: Canada.com
South Korea: Nakdong Reservoirs Running Dry
March 3, 2009 by Editor
Filed under World's Water
The Korea Water Resources Corporation’s inadequate water management is contributing to a water shortage in the Nakdong River. According to analysis of data the Chosun Ilbo obtained with the help of Grand National Party lawmaker Yoon Young, five multi-purpose dams along the Nakdong River can supply 560 million tons of water, including expected rainfalls, until June 20 when the rainy season begins. But the actual amount residents and facilities along the river need is as much as 730 million tons, indicating a crisis in the making even if water is used sparingly.
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According to the corporation’s own regulations, when dams are short of water, it is necessary to reduce supply needed for the maintenance of the eco-systems at streams first; then for irrigation; and finally for people and industrial use.
Dr. Park Ki-wook of the Rural Research Institute said, “Unless we have more rain than in previous years, we will experience shortage of irrigation water from April. Then the southern regions will suffer severe crop damage, and the damage will become worse in May.”
Dr. Kim Sung of the Korea Institute of Construction Technology said, “The basic principle of dam management is to store maximum amounts of water in dams for the three months of the flood season from June 20 to Sept. 20 and to supply water for various purposes for the remaining nine months. But it is doubtful if the corporation has followed the principle.”
Analysis of data on the corporation’s website shows that the five dams stored only 94 million tons of water, about 9 percent of 1,159 million tons that had flown into the reservoirs, during three rainy season last year. The corporation discharged the remaining 91 percent of water under the pretext of flood control.
From 2003 to 2007, the corporation stored 20 to 30 percent of the water that had flown into the reservoirs. But it drastically reduced water storage last year, when there was less rain. The Hapcheon and Namgang dams then discharged about 100 million tons of their stored water. The corporation said, “In case of Namgang Dam, we needed to hastily discharge large amounts of water as we expected torrential downpours last summer.”
Experts say the Nakdong River water shortage is the combined result of long-term drought and the corporation’s careless water management.
Source: Chosun
5th World Water Forum to Address Planet’s Water Concerns
March 3, 2009 by Editor
Filed under Water Saving Solutions
Chicago, USA (UAE Daily News): The 5th World Water Forum, the world’s largest water-related event, will convene in Istanbul, Turkey, March 16-22, 2009, to push the worldwide water crisis onto the international agenda. Held every three years, the Forum gathers parties from every horizon to find sustainable solutions to the world’s water challenges.
With more than 3,000 participating organizations and over 10,000 attendees, this year’s Forum will include international heads of state, United Nations representatives, ministers, parliamentarians, local authorities and other government officials, as well as water professionals, activists and other interested parties. During this year’s Forum, the United Nations’ World Water Development Report will be unveiled giving insight into freshwater resources.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, two-thirds of the planet will live in water-stressed conditions by 2025 if present consumption patterns continue. “The ultimate goal of the 5th World Water Forum Istanbul 2009 is to motivate action to improve the world’s management of water resources,” says Prof. Dr. Oktay Tabasaran, the Forum’s secretary-general. “This can only be done by raising awareness of the importance of water-related issues. However, global awareness must be followed by actions such as legislation and funding, which are promoted through the Forum.”
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Source: UAE Daily News
California Faces Water Rationing, Governor Proclaims Drought Emergency
February 27, 2009 by Editor
Filed under The Southwest
SACRAMENTO, California, February 27, 2009 (ENS) – Parched California is a step closer to mandatory water rationing today as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed a state of emergency and ordered all government agencies to implement the state’s emergency plan and provide help for people, communities and businesses impacted by the third consecutive year of drought.
“This drought is having a devastating impact on our people, our communities, our economy and our environment – making today’s action absolutely necessary,” Governor Schwarzenegger said. “This is a crisis, just as severe as an earthquake or raging wildfire, and we must treat it with the same urgency by upgrading California’s water infrastructure to ensure a clean and reliable water supply for our growing state.”
The governor’s order directs that by March 30, the Department of Water Resources will provide an updated report on the state’s drought conditions and water availability.
If the emergency conditions have not eased, the governor said he could start mandatory water rationing and mandatory reductions in water use.
Schwarzenegger said he could order reoperation of major reservoirs in the state to minimize impacts of the drought. He also could provide additional regulatory relief or permit streamlining as allowed under the Emergency Services Act.
The governor called for a statewide water conservation campaign and asked all urban water users to immediately reduce their individual water use by 20 percent. He asked all Californians to reduce their water use as much as possible.
“Even with the recent rainfall, California faces its third consecutive year of drought and we must prepare for the worst – a fourth, fifth or even sixth year of drought,” he said. “Last year we experienced the driest spring and summer on record and storage in the state’s reservoir system is near historic lows.”
The DWR and the California Department of Food and Agriculture are ordered to recommend, within 30 days, measures to reduce the economic impacts of the drought, including water transfers, through-Delta emergency transfers, water conservation measures, efficient irrigation practices, and improvements to the California Irrigation Management Information System.
Low water in Littlerock Reservoir, Littlerock, California (Photo by David Steele)
The drought conditions and water restrictions are causing additional devastating economic and business losses. Agricultural revenue losses exceed $300 million to date and could exceed $2 billion in the coming season, with a total economic loss of nearly $3 billion in 2009.
In his proclamation, Governor Schwarzenegger directs the Department of Water Resources to expedite water transfers and related efforts by water users and suppliers.
The governor also directs the DWR to implement short-term efforts to protect water quality or water supply, such as the installation of temporary barriers in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta or temporary water supply connections.
He asks the state water agency to offer technical assistance to agricultural water suppliers and agricultural water users and provide information on managing water supplies to minimize economic impacts and implementing efficient water management practices.
He asks local, state and federal agencies to immediately implement a water use reduction plan and take immediate water conservation actions.
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Source: Environment News Service
Las Vegas Running Out of Water Means Dimming Los Angeles Lights
February 26, 2009 by Editor
Filed under The Southwest
Feb. 26 (Bloomberg) — On a cloudless December day in the Nevada desert, workers in white hard hats descend into a 30- foot-wide shaft next to Lake Mead.
As they’ve been doing since June, they’ll blast and dig straight down into the limestone surrounding the reservoir that supplies 90 percent of Las Vegas’s water. In September, when they hit 600 feet, they’ll turn and burrow for 3 miles, laying a new pipe as they go.
The crew is in a hurry. They’re battling the worst 10-year drought in recorded history along the Colorado River, which feeds the 110-mile-long reservoir. Since 1999, Lake Mead has dropped about 1 percent a year. By 2012, the lake’s surface could fall below the existing pipe that delivers 40 percent of the city’s water.
As Las Vegas’s economy worsens, the workers are also racing against a recession that threatens the ability to sell $500 million in bonds so they can complete the job.
Patricia Mulroy, manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, is the general in this region’s war to stem a water emergency that’s playing out worldwide. It’s the biggest battle of her 31-year career.
‘We’ve Tried Everything’
“We’ve tried everything,” says Mulroy, 56, who made no secret of her desire to become secretary of the U.S. Interior Department before President Barack Obama picked U.S. Senator Ken Salazar of Colorado in December.
“The way you look at water has to fundamentally change,” adds Mulroy, who, after 20 years of running the authority, said in January she’s ready to start thinking about looking for a new job, declining to say where.
Across the planet, people like Mulroy are struggling to solve the next global crisis.
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Source: Bloomberg
Water conservation bill gets House OK
February 26, 2009 by Editor
Filed under Water Saving Solutions
ST. GEORGE – Pushing to make water conservation and efficiency more of a priority, Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, introduced a bill designed to protect the world’s most precious resource.
The Water-Use Efficiency and Conservation Research Act, passed on a voice vote in the U.S. House on Wednesday, authorizes $100 million over five years to create a research and development program on water-use efficiency and conservation within the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development.
“Many experts are starting to see water as the ‘new oil’ in terms of what a precious commodity it is,” Matheson said in a statement Tuesday. “The key to avoiding future scarcity is more efficient use, reuse and distribution. We need the best minds tackling the challenge, and then we need to ensure the information is readily available to the public.”
For arid western states such as Utah, water conservation has always been a hot topic, and the region’s rate of population growth portends more obstacles to come.
“Fast-growing urban areas in arid or drought-stricken regions are looking at water shortages unless we get smarter about using technology to be more efficient,” Matheson said. “It will also save money.”
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Source: The Spectrum
