The Stream, May 25: Go-ahead for UK Shale Gas

China is bracing for what might be the worst summer power crunch in recent years, according to Reuters. Electricity supplies to industrial users will be curbed in the summer, as power deficits are expected to reach 30 gigawatts even if coal supplies are steady, water levels are normal and there are no persisting high temperatures.

Meanwhile, about 5 billion cubic meters of water will be discharged from the Three Gorges Dam over the next 20 days to fight the severe drought in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, People’s Daily reported. But even this will do little to ease the drought conditions in Hubei Province.

Shale Gas
The United Kingdom does not need to impose a moratorium on shale gas drilling, according to a newly released report by the Energy and Climate Change Committee. The study, which looks at the impact of shale gas development on water supplies, energy security and greenhouse gas emissions, found no evidence that hydraulic fracturing poses a direct risk to underground water aquifers provided the drilling well is constructed properly, the parliamentary committee said.

Water-Food Nexus
Water shortages in India, South Korea, China and the oil-rich Gulf states have the potential to constrain economic growth and create social unrest, a new analysis by research firm Maplecroft shows. Resource shortages and growing demands are also triggering large emerging economies to acquire farmland in developing countries to ensure the security of their food supplies.

Australia
The floodwaters from summer downpours in Australia have brought relief to the decade-long drought in the Murray-Darling River Basin but have done nothing to quell the fierce debate over a new water sharing plan for the region, ABC Australia reports.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.