The Stream, February 4: Revisiting the Bushmen

An appeals court in Botswana ruled that the Bushmen in the arid Central Kalahari Game Reserve can now drill wells for water, in what is the latest chapter of a painful legal battle for water access against the Botswana government.

Fred Pearce, author of “When the Rivers Run Dry,” finds yet another river on the edge. A major agricultural project threatens to drain the Niger River’s inland delta in Mali by diverting large amounts of water for an extensive irrigation system for Libya. Add to that a series of oil spills and the lingering controversies behind them.

With food prices rising and food riots spreading across North Africa, a Wall Street Journal commentary weighs up Russia’s plans to reconsider the ban on its grain exports after last summer’s devastating drought.

The New York Times describes a new method of measuring groundwater’s inflows into small streams on the surface, and what that means for groundwater regulation in California.

Which are the 10 U.S. cities with the worst drinking water? Data shows that a surprising number of American cities have water that does not meet recommended health guidelines or exceeds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency limits.

As China enters on a new Year of the Rabbit, the Guardian revisits in pictures the biggest environmental stories from the year of the tiger, from the world’s largest dam to the world’s worst traffic jam.

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.