The Stream, July 29: Gaza Power Plant Hit By Israeli Strikes, Water Rationing Urged

Residents of Gaza should begin rationing their water, warned local officials after Israeli strikes severely damaged Gaza’s only power plant, Reuters reported. The plant, which supplies two-thirds of Gaza’s energy and powers many water pumps, could take a year to repair.

Extreme Weather
An ongoing drought in Brazil has drawn down water levels in Sao Paulo’s largest reservoir, which could run out of water within 100 days, according to federal prosecutors, Bloomberg News reported. The prosecutors have given the city 10 days to either develop a plan to secure water supplies or start rationing.

Serbia’s largest coal mine is still recovering from extreme flooding that hit the country in May, leading to increased electricity imports this winter that could cost $US 193 million, Bloomberg News reported. The total economic damage to the power industry is estimated at $US 662 million.

Climate Change
Each decade that the United States fails to address greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, the costs to address these problems will rise 40 percent, according to a new report released by the White House, the Guardian reported. In addition, $US 150 billion a year could be lost from the global gross domestic product if temperatures increase 3 degrees Celsius.

Glaciers in New Zealand’s Southern Alps have declined by 34 percent since 1977 due to rising global temperatures, the Guardian reported. Though the country’s glaciers are not expected to disappear completely—that would take a 15 to 20-degree Celsius increase—they will likely continue to shrink.

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