The Stream, August 27: Drought Increases Haiti Food Insecurity

The Global Rundown

A drought in Haiti is threatening nearly a third of the country’s population with food insecurity. In response to the California drought, Los Angeles cut its water use by 21 percent last month. Millions of people are losing their water due to conflict in Syria. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency underestimated the amount of water stored at the Colorado mine site responsible for the Animas River spill.

“There was in fact high enough water pressure to cause a blowout.”–Stan Meiburg, acting deputy administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, on a review that found the agency underestimated the volume of water contained in the Colorado mine that spilled toxic waste into the Animas River during cleanup operations. (The Wall Street Journal)

By The Numbers

21 percent Amount Los Angeles cut its water use during July when compared with 2013 levels. With this reduction, the city met its state mandated water conservation goal for the second month in a row. The Los Angeles Times

Science, Studies, And Reports

Approximately 30 percent of Haiti’s population is becoming food insecure due to a severe drought, according to the United Nations World Food Programme. The drought has damaged crops and raised food prices. Reuters

On The Radar

Warring groups in Syria are increasingly using water as a weapon, cutting off supplies for political and military gain, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund. The group estimates that 5 million people in Syria have lost their water supplies over the past several months. UN News Centre

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