The Stream, May 21: Negotiations on the Murray-Darling Draft Plan
The negotiations on a final plan for Australia’s Murray-Darling river system are well under way, with South Australian water officials summoned to give evidence to the federal parliament this week, The Australian reported. South Australia has lashed the draft plan for the basin, saying that it does not return enough water to the environment. Many others have also rejected the proposal.
Meanwhile, a desalination plant in Adelaide is driving up the water prices in South Australia, according to The Australian. Water fees in the state will increase 25 percent next year.
A new project to fetch water by trucks through prime paddy land to Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, threatens to raise tensions between water companies and rice growers, Inter Press Service reported.
Thousands of households near Tokyo had their water supply cut off on Saturday after local checks found it was contaminated with a cancer-causing chemical, AFP reported.
Global freshwater demand is driving up sea levels even faster than melting glaciers, the Guardian reported, citing new research published in Nature Geoscience.
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.
, a Bulgaria native, is a Chicago-based reporter for Circle of Blue. She co-writes The Stream, a daily digest of international water news trends.
Interests: Europe, China, Environmental Policy, International Security.
