The Stream, March 23: World Water Ranking

Mauritania, Kuwait and Jordan are the most water-stressed countries in the world, according to a new water ranking by a British risk analysis group. In its review of 160 countries around the globe, the company also notes that Sweden, Guyana, Canada and Russia have the most secure supplies.

Meanwhile, Kuwait announced that it plans to increase its desalinated water capacity by 75 percent to 700 million gallons in the next five years, Reuters reports.

Water Sanitation
The water and sanitation infrastructure in Gaza needs urgent and comprehensive upgrade, but construction projects are hampered by restrictions on the import of building materials, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. Gaza dumps hundreds of gallons of wastewater a day into local waterways due to failing wastewater treatment and distribution systems.

Meanwhile, a malfunction in a U.S. wastewater plant in New Hampshire has released millions of plastic sewage disks into the seawater around Massachusetts, UPI reports.

Economics
Rwanda’s economic growth climbed to 7.5 percent last year, mainly driven by financial services, as well as the electricity, gas and water industries, according to Bloomberg.

Interactive
Check out all design entries to the Circle of Blue + Visualizing Urban Water Challenge. And read the Guardian‘s online discussion with experts about the role of business in urban water sustainability.

This photo essay in Foreign Policy peeks into China’s massive water infrastructure, pollution and habitat change.

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