The Stream, March 30: Great Lakes Water Levels

A new report by a U.S.-Canadian advisory panel recommends against large-scale engineering projects to control the Great Lakes water levels, saying people across the region should instead adapt to nature’s swings, Detroit Free Press reported.

Chicago has announced a $7 billion, three-year plan to transform the city’s infrastructure. The program, which will touch nearly every aspect of the city’s infrastructure network, includes the replacement of 900 miles (1,450 kilometers) of century-old water pipes, the repair of 750 miles of sewer line, and the reconstruction of 160,000 catch-basins.

China plans to build a dam that will flood the last free-flowing portion of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, Reuters reported.

Climate change is leading to more severe, more costly and more deadly storms, droughts, heat waves, floods and other weather extremes, according to a new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Associated Press reported. Read the full study here.

EPA’s decision to toughen carbon emission rules at U.S. power plants will likely force coal companies to cut down domestic production and ramp up exports to countries in Asia, where environmental regulations are less stringent, according to Reuters.

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.