The Stream, November 12: Africa’s Largest Reverse-Osmosis Desalination Plant Opens in Algeria

The Global Rundown

The city of Oran, Algeria is turning to the sea, while the city of Jakarta, Indonesia is trying to shut it out. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has seen an impressive jump in green technology, and Malawi hopes to see a jump in the number of citizens with access to tap water. Scientists are blaming sick villagers in India on factory and tannery waste, and one South African scientist is blaming climate change on plastic water bottles (among other things). Finally, Kenyans who don’t have enough water to grow animals are going to start growing crops.

“The whole city is sinking like Atlantis” – Christophe Girot, employee at Future Cities Laboratory research group, on the vulnerable city of Jakarta, Indonesia. (Bloomberg News).

By The Numbers

500,000 cubic meters per day Capacity of seawater desalination plant recently opened in the city of Oran, Algeria. Bloomberg News

58 percent Increase in patents for “green” technology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between 2012 and 2013. Arab News

6 million Number of Malawians who must obtain access to improved water and sanitation to meet U.N. Millennium Development Goals. Worldbulletin News

Science, Studies, And Reports

Experts believe high levels of uranium and lead toxicity in villagers from a region of northern India, and subsequent sickness and deformities, are caused by factories and tanneries dumping untreated sewage into the Sutlej River. Dawn.com

At a news briefing on the new IPCC Synthesis Report in South Africa, a top climate scientist openly scorned the bottle of water sitting on the table beside him, stating that it was a contributor to the problem of greenhouse gas emissions. IOL SciTech

On The Radar

The construction of a 32 kilometer seawall is part of a plan to protect the city of Jakarta, Indonesia from the impacts of climate change. Bloomberg News

Despite the low status associated with farming, livestock herders in Kenya have been shifting to crop agriculture after droughts killed off most of their animals. Reuters