The Stream, May 19: Mali Land Deal Raises Questions About Water Rights

The Global Rundown

A land and water deal in Mali has stalled, leaving residents in a precarious situation, and a landslide killed more than 60 people in Colombia. The share of renewable energy is not growing fast enough to meet international targets, climate change could significantly hinder power generation in the United States, and water levels in Lake Mead could drop low enough to force water cuts in 2017.

“How can they guarantee water for foreigners and not us Malian people? It’s already difficult for us to survive.”–Binan Coulibaly,a farmer in Mali, on a major deal giving Libyan investors land and water rights in Mali’s Office du Niger region. Finalized in 2008, the agricultural development project stalled following the collapse of Libya’s government. (Reuters)

By The Numbers

62 people Number killed when heavy rain and floods caused a landslide in Salgar, Colombia. Officials say there was no warning of the event. BBC News

4 percent per year Growth rate of the world’s renewable energy share, including hydropower, between 2010 and 2012. The growth rate needs to be 7.5 percent per year to meet international goals, a World Bank report found. Reuters

Science, Studies, And Reports

Drier and hotter conditions due to climate change could significantly inhibit future power generation in the western United States, according to researchers at Arizona State University. In a paper published in Nature Climate Change, they call for upgrades to help “climate-proof” power plants. National Science Foundation

On The Radar

Water levels in Lake Mead could drop so low by January 2017 that managers will need to cut water supplies to Arizona by 11.4 percent and to Nevada by 4.3 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States. Associated Press

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