The Stream, May 21: Drought Blocks Argentina’s Main Shipping Route

The Global Rundown

Drought in Brazil is causing a bottleneck on Argentina‘s main shipping route, the now-too-shallow Parana River. Many farmers in the Marathwada region of India have chosen suicide instead of facing debt they cannot repay with drought-racked crops. Minnesota scientists are making a voyage across Lake Superior, taking water samples all the way.

“This hit the last nail in the coffin. With the loss of all their investment, no saving in hand to feed their families and no hopes of getting further loans or ever being able to pay back the debt, many farmers ended their lives.” — Sanjeev Unhale, non-profit worker in the Indian state of Maharashtra, on the drought that spurred a spate of farmer suicides. (Down to Earth)

By The Numbers

900 – Number of reported farmer suicides in the Marathwada region of the Indian state of Maharashtra since January 2014. Crop yields have been hit hard by drought, and many farmers, unable to meet financial obligations, have chosen to end their lives. Down to Earth

Science, Studies, And Reports

A group of scientists from the University of Minnesota-Duluth are traveling across Lake Superior and taking water samples to study the lake’s changing ecosystem. The lake as a whole is 5 degrees warmer than it was 30 years ago, nutrient levels are changing and biodiversity is on the decline. Scientists are using the water samples to establish a baseline of the lake’s conditions to aid in further study.  Times Union

On The Radar

The Parana River in Argentina, the main route to the country’s main port of Rosario, is blocked after a vessel ran aground in shallow waters on Tuesday, the second in a week. The drought in neighboring Brazil has dropped water levels in the Parana to two feet below the May average. The shipping bottleneck of mass amounts of Argentinian exports is estimated to be costing $960,000/day. Bloomberg News