The Stream, June 13: Land Grabs Threaten Africa’s Water

Large-scale foreign investment in Africa’s farmland is a threat to the continent’s water supply and water access, according to a new report from the nonprofit organization GRAIN. The report asserts that the global rush to control agricultural land is also a rush to control water resources.

Rivers
The world’s ten most populous river basins, most of them in China and India, are expected to produce 25 percent of the globe’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2050, according to a study by Frontier Economics, Reuters reported. Water scarcity, however, could jeopardize economic growth.

China’s new water allocation plan limiting the amount of water that can be taken from 25 designated rivers is expected to be in place by the end of the year, Xinhua reported.

This video from Yale Environment 360 takes a closer look at the social and environmental impacts of Brazil’s Belo Monte Dam project in the Amazon.

United States
A Native American community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is struggling to stop a new nickel and copper mine near Lake Superior, already 75 percent complete, that they fear could pollute surrounding waterways, Environmental Health News reported. The mining company says a water treatment plant will prevent any contamination.

More than 1,000 accidental releases of drilling wastewater and other fluids were reported in North Dakota in 2011, a product of the state’s oil boom, ProPublica reported.

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