Brazil water utility cut to junk by Moody’s amid São Paulo drought

By Dimitra DeFotis4 September 2015 (Barron’s) – Moody’s Investors Service said in a note this week that the credit rating of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s drought-starved water utility Companhia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de São Paulo or Sabesp (SBS) is at risk. As the Brazilian real stumbles lower against the dollar, shares of Sabesp, the […]

When the wells run dry: California families cope in drought – ‘It’s not an earthquake or flood where you can drive down the street and see the devastation’

By Scott Smith6 September 2015 TULARE, California (AP) – Looking for water to flush his toilet, Tino Lozano pointed a garden hose at some buckets in the bare dirt of his yard. It’s his daily ritual now in a community built by refugees from Oklahoma’s Dust Bowl. But only a trickle came out; then a […]

Drought shrinks Poland’s Vistula river to lowest level in 226 years – Archaeologists uncover treasure trove of historic artifacts

By Stanislaw Waszak 4 September 2015 Warsaw (AFP) – Archaeologists are having a field day in Poland’s longest river, the Vistula, which because of a drought has hit a record low water level allowing them to uncover a treasure trove of historic artifacts. “There are pieces of marble and stoneware and fragments of fountains, window […]

California drought causing land in the Central Valley to subside faster than ever – Increased pumping drives groundwater levels to record lows – ‘We are pumping at historic levels’

19 August 2015 (JPL) – As Californians continue pumping groundwater in response to the historic drought, the California Department of Water Resources today released a new NASA report showing land in the San Joaquin Valley is sinking faster than ever before, nearly 2 inches (5 centimeters) per month in some locations. The report, Progress Report: […]

River that runs through downtown San Jose, California dries up; fish and wildlife suffer – ‘Every stream is slowly going dry’

By Sean Breslin10 August 2015 (weather.com) – One of America’s 10 largest cities is swiftly losing its river, and the loss is having major effects on the ecosystem around it. The San Jose Mercury News said eight miles of the 14-mile long Guadalupe River that runs through San Jose, California, has now dried up, another […]

Shrinking Colorado River is a growing concern for Yuma farmers and millions of water users – ‘They believe there’s a target on their backs’

By William Yardley18 July 2015 (Los Angeles Times) – The Colorado River begins as snowmelt in the Rocky Mountains and ends 1,450 miles south in Mexico after making a final sacrifice to the United States: water for the farm fields in this powerhouse of American produce. Throughout the winter, perfect heads of romaine, red-and-green lettuce, […]

August 13th is Earth Overshoot Day this year – In less than eight months, humanity has used up nature’s budget for the entire year

OAKLAND, CA, USA, 12 August 2015 (GFN) – In less than eight months, humanity has used up nature’s budget for the entire year, with carbon sequestration making up more than half of the demand on nature, according to data from Global Footprint Network, an international sustainability think tank with offices in North America, Europe and […]

The twisty logic of the California drought: Grow thirsty crops to dig deeper wells – ‘Basically, as water runs out, farmers are planting crops that need more water’

By Stacey Vanek Smith6 August 2015 (NPR) – Some California farmers are turning to more profitable crops — like pistachios and almonds — in order to fund the drilling of deeper wells to cope with the long drought. Those crops, however, are some of the thirstiest around. AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: We’ve all heard reports about […]

Salt water increasingly attacks Vietnam’s Mekong Delta – ‘We have never seen this situation in the area before’

29 July 2015 (Tuoi Tre News) – The Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s biggest granary, home to a widespread network of rivers and canals, has been threatened by the rising level of salt water flowing into rice fields and farms. There have been warnings about such a situation for years, but authorities in Vietnam have failed to […]

Are water shortages the biggest threat to the Middle East? “Doha has just three days’ supply”

By Karim Elgendy16 July 2015 (City Metric) – Those who visit the Middle East and North Africa from more temperate climates are often struck with how hot and dry the region is, and how scarce its rainfall. Some wonder why cities became established here, and how they continue to exist despite the lack of renewable […]

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial