The Stream, May 10: How Effective Is Australia’s Water Trading System?

A flawed water-trading system is choking the Murray-Darling, Australia’s largest river basin, and the new draft plan for the region will not solve the problems, according to a prominent Australian water expert.

South Africa’s Cabinet will receive the long-awaited technical report on shale gas development in the country in July at the latest, according to Bloomberg News. The government set a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing last year, pending studies of the impacts on water, health and the environment.

Half of China’s tap water does not meet national drinking water standards, and the quality of the water has not improved since 2009, The Economic Times reported, citing an official water survey.

The United Kingdom plans to unveil draft legislation this year that would increase competition in the water sector and encourage investment needed to keep supplies flowing as the climate gets drier, Bloomberg News reported.

A senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations analyzes the U.S. State Department’s Global Water Security report. What’s looming for the world’s fresh water?

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.