The Stream, April 12: The Murray Darling River Basin Draft Plan

As the consultation period for the draft plan on the Murray Darling River Basin draws to a close this week, a prominent Australian environmental expert said that the proposed plan is a step back from current arrangements. Why is the draft so controversial?

Managing India’s water resources sustainably will be a top priority in the country’s next five-year plan, according to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. India’s water problems could hamper economic growth unless the country reins in rampant consumption, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Tow an iceberg to California and capture what melts for the Colorado River? Divert water from the Mississippi? Reform the oil and gas industry? The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is reviewing more than 140 ideas from the public about ways to cut water demand and increase the water supply in the arid Colorado River Basin, AP reported.

The drought in the U.K. is set to extend into at least late spring as the region will not get major rain in the coming weeks, Reuters reported, citing a German meteorologist.

New climate models reveal that Mars was mostly cold and dry, and did not host oceans, as previously suggested, Nature reported. But researchers say that the shift in thinking doesn’t rule out life on ancient Mars.

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