The Stream, June 6: Pakistan’s Kashmir Hydropower Project

Asia
Pakistan’s plans to divert 86 percent of the Neelum River’s water to produce hydropower could leave the Kashmir city of Muzaffarabad without enough river flow for drinking water and sewage disposal, AlertNet reported.

Water quality is extremely poor in five of China’s major bays, including the Yangtze and Pearl River estuaries, according to an environmental official, Xinhua reported. The official also stated that 61 percent of rivers in 10 of the country’s major basins received favorable ratings, but 25 percent were polluted and received poor ratings.

Thailand plans to spend $US 123 million building flood walls, capable of holding back 5,100 million cubic meters of water, around six industrial parks, according to Xinhua.

A slideshow posted by the Guardian and photographed by Christian Aid documents the plight of Bangladesh farmers and fishermen, who are already feeling the effects of climate change on their water resources.

Latin America
A new study from the Inter-American Development Bank estimates that climate change will cost Latin America and the Caribbean $US 100 billion each year by 2050 if global temperatures continue to rise, AlertNet reported.

The Guardian looks at the administration of Peru’s president Ollanta Humala and how it has failed to calm the country’s social unrest over mining and natural resources.

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.

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