The Stream, September 21: India Water Dispute

India
A water shortage in India’s Cauvery River Basin has pitted the state of Karnataka against its southern neighbor, Tamil Nadu, the Times of India reported. The states rejected water sharing suggestions from the Cauvery River Authority and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, with Karnataka arguing that it cannot release any water downstream without jeopardizing its own drinking and irrigation supplies.

Within the Group of 20 (G-20) nations, India is the most vulnerable to water stress, according to a report released this week by international banking group HSBC. The study warned that the country could face extreme water scarcity by 2030, reported Bloomberg News.

Drought
A drought in Indonesia has been decimating rice crops across the country, even leading to calls for the government to seed rain clouds, the Jakarta Globe reported.

China became the world’s largest importer of agricultural products last year, surpassing the United States, according to World Trade Organization (WTO) data. China’s economic growth has led to an increase in demand, and has also compounded land and water shortages, Bloomberg News reported.

Mining
New mining legislation in Afghanistan aims to make the country, with its estimated $US 1 trillion worth of natural resources, more attractive to foreign investors, Reuters reported. But the Afghan government is divided over the potential source of revenue, with some officials saying investment is necessary while others raise concerns about foreign exploitation and environmental damage.

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