The Stream, April 25: Beijing Will Face a Water Shortage

Water Supply in Asia
Beijing’s water resources are expected to come up short by 1.3 billion cubic meters (343 billion gallons) this year, creating a water shortage that will be overcome by recycling water, diverting water and tapping underground water supplies, Xinhua reported.

The groundwater of Mongolia’s capital city, Ulan Bator, has been found to contain high levels of uranium, according to Xinhua. Meanwhile, drought is threatening the Tula River, a major source of water for the city.

Climate Change
Policymakers are failing to act on reducing carbon emissions, pursuing fossil fuels despite the risk of pushing climate change to catastrophic levels, the International Energy Agency (IEA) told a clean energy conference in London, the Guardian reported.

Indigenous communities that have been dealing with climate fluctuations for centuries could be useful models for countries facing the challenges of global climate change, according to AlertNet.

Mining
Peru’s government has announced it will work with Newmont Mining Corporation to iron out the company’s environmental mitigation plan for its proposed Conga gold and copper project, Reuters reported. Newmont is willing to make improvements to the project after international auditors recommended changes to ensure the protection of local water resources.

A U.S. company plans to tackle space by mining asteroids for valuable metals and water, The Wall Street Journal reported. The firm counts Google co-founder Larry Page and Hollywood director James Cameron as investors.

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.

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek