The Stream, June 25: Water Pricing in China

China will introduce a new water pricing mechanism by 2015, the Xinhua news agency reported. According to the new plan, water rates will rise exponentially as water consumption increases.

Peruvian president Ollanta Humala said on Saturday that the Newmont Mining Corporation would guarantee ample water supplies for towns near its proposed Conga gold mine, Reuters reported. The company accepted stricter environmental standards for its controversial mine after large-scale protests in the country stalled work on the project.

Controversial writer and economist Dambisa Moyo tells the Guardian that the world will be drawn into conflicts over resources.

Here’s a recent satellite photo of the disappearing Aral Sea in Central Asia. The sea has been decreasing in size since the 1960s, when Soviet planners began siphoning off water to increase irrigation for cotton production in Uzbekistan.

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.