The Stream, December 31: Heat Wave Causes Water Shortages in Argentina

Extreme Weather
Shortages of water and electricity have crippled Buenos Aires after weeks of soaring temperatures, with some residents living with outages for as long as two weeks, International Business Times reported. The heat has created record demand for electricity, which the country’s power companies and outdated infrastructure have been unable to supply.

Heavy rain storms caused flooding and landslides in Scotland, and more rain is expected in the coming days, the Guardian reported. A series of intense rain storms have hit the United Kingdom over the past few weeks, creating a higher risk for flooding as the ground becomes saturated.

Climate Change
Suriname’s parliament may consider implementing an overarching environmental law after a draft of the law was presented by a group of climate change experts in the country, AlertNet reported. The law would officially recognize climate change as a legal term and provide the framework for environmental reviews of development projects, among other actions.

Water Supply
2013 was the driest year on record since 1877 for Los Angeles, which is among a group of California cities that saw rainfall levels drop well below average last year, the Associated Press reported. The dry weather has also led to snowpack water content levels that are 20 percent of normal.

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