The Stream, October 11: Keystone XL Continued

Is there a conflict of interest in the U.S. State Department’s decision to assign an important environmental impact study of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline to a company with financial ties to the pipeline operator?

Natural Disasters in Asia
Floods and typhoons in recent months have compounded North Korea’s dysfunctional food distribution system, leaving millions of North Koreans in danger of malnutrition, TIME Magazine reported.

Floods have also submerged the ancient capital of Ayutthaya in Thailand, forcing an emergency evacuation of hospitals in the region, the Guardian reported. See pictures.

Japan, China, South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations signed an agreement last week to stockpile rice that can be used during disasters and other contingencies, The Japan Times reported. The deal is the region’s first permanent mechanism for establishing an emergency rice reserve.

Energy
What does the Nobel Prize tell us about oil? Michael Levi at the Council on Foreign Relations analyzes.

Pakistan’s crippling electricity shortage has triggered riots in the country that have paralyzed whole cities and are estimated to slice some 3 to 4 percent off Pakistan’s GDP, The Economist reported.

Infrastructure
A proposed diversion project to siphon off 14,000 acre-feet of water per year threatens New Mexico’s Gila River, according to National Geographic.

The China Three Gorges Corp., the operator of China’s largest water control program, has signed a contract to build a dam in Mauritius, Xinhua reported.

The U.K. Department for International Development isn’t monitoring its aid for infrastructure projects, such as road construction and water supply pipelines, as effectively as it could, according to a new report.

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.