Circle of Blue recently identified ten global hot spots where water resources are at the greatest risk of escalating to an issue of national security. Climate change, drought, low rainfall and pollution have heightened awareness around the world’s increasing need for fresh water resources. As water shortages elevate to crisis-level, countries worldwide are scrambling to identifty and claim fresh water resources.
Read more here: Infographic: Water and Security Hot Spots 2016
Water demand in Kampala is exceeding the current supply. Residents have been warned that water will most likely not be available 24/7 over the next several months. The water shortage is due to a lengthy dry spell and low water reserves. The National Water and Sewage Corporation has urged residents to use water sparingly and take precautions.
Read more here: Water shortage to last till March – NWSC
The current state of South Africa’s water crisis may serve as a warning of dry years to come. Lower than normal rainfall totals have left much of the country parched and residents thirsty. In one town, residents line the main street with empty buckets at night to mark places in line to wait for water trucks the following day.
Read more here: South Africa: Drought Leads to Failed Crops, Water Shortages
California lawmakers have looked ‘Down Under’ for potential solutions to the state’s water crisis. Australia is an expert on the topic, having endured a 13-year drought that ended in 2010. During that time, the country made revamped its water policies to cut back water use, find more sustainable water resources and build an efficient infrastructure.
Read more here: Lawmakers look Down Under to help state get over the drought
California hoped the El Niño weather phenomenon would bring much-needed rain and snow to the parched state. In the midst of a four-year drought, Californian officials, businesses and residents have been anxiously awaiting a wet and soggy winter. Weather predictions have raised new fears. La Niña, the drier version of El Niño, is expected next fall and with it, the possibility of drier weather patterns.
Read more here: Dry La Niña might follow soggy El Niño
Nevada is entering its fifth year of drought. Over the last year, experts – dubbed the Nevada Drought Forum – have analyzed the water crisis and have offered recommendations to improve the state’s policies surrounding water management.
The recommendations included educating the public on the importance of conservation efforts, continued research on state water data and developing a long-term plan for water recycling and drought management.
Read more here: New drought report could be state water-policy road map
Climate change has become a hot topic due to the recent COP-21 negotiations being held in Paris. It’s hard to believe some people are still denying the existence of climate change, particularly when 40 percent of the world’s population is directly effected by climate change on a daily basis. Climate change has been linked to water shortages, low rainfall, drought, famine and energy supply issues.
The Huffington Post’s article, “The Vicious Circle of Climate Change and Water Scarcity”, discusses the issues and how climate change impacts water scarcity globally.
Read more here: The Vicious Circle of Climate Change and Water Scarcity
Drought is nothing new in Iran. The Middle Eastern country has experienced drought numerous times in the last 40 years, including from 1992-2002, 2008 and over the last several years. A population surge, increased water consumption and climate change have escalated the problem.
What steps are being taken to alleviate the crisis?
Read more here: Iran’s water crisis deepening
In Indonesia, the Wonogiri regency is struggling with a water crisis. Low rainfall has caused reservoirs to recede beyond drought levels, halting production at hydro-electric plants. The drought has also prevented residents from receiving clean water. Locals are now relying on tankers to supply clean water to the region.
Read more here: Wonogiri still experiencing water crisis
A three-month-long NBC Bay Area investigation into California’s water crisis found several Silicon Valley technology companies and venture capitalists ready to design, produce and manufacture innovative high-tech solutions to the state’s drought. But the investigation also discovered that California’s labyrinth of rules, regulations, and the multiple agencies that oversee water policy have become serious barriers to those innovations and their large-scale adoption.
Climate scientists warn the California drought could last for decades. With the prospects of global warming, population growth, and disappearing snowpack on the horizon, dozens of water policy experts say it’s time for California and its hundreds of separate, independent water agencies to aggressively approach technology in a fashion similar to the state’s approach to energy, climate change and transportation.
Read more here: Bureaucratic Barriers Stand in the Way of Innovation That Could Help Solve California’s Water Crisis
