The Stream, December 6: Report Details Countries at Risk of Water Wars

Countries in eastern Africa, the Middle East, and Asia are most at risk of war due to a lack of cooperation over transboundary water resources, according to a report from the Mumbai-based Strategic Foresight Group. The report also argues that countries involved in meaningful cooperation over water resources are less likely to experience conflicts over land, ideology, history and other factors.

Water Pollution
Some workers who built storage tanks for radioactive water at Japan’s damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were hired illegally in a manner that violated Japan’s labor protections, according to reports from other laborers, Reuters reported. Labor advocates say that the mistreatment of workers could hinder efforts to clean up the site and stop the flow of contaminated water.

Babies whose mothers were exposed to contaminated water at a United States Marine base were four times more likely to have serious birth defects and were at a greater risk for childhood cancers, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Associated Press reported. Chemicals from a fuel depot and dry cleaning facilities contaminated tap water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina up until 1985.

Bolivia
A $US 60 million loan will help improve drinking water and sanitation systems for 145,000 people in Bolivia, Bloomberg News reported. The loan comes from the Washington D.C.-based Inter-American Development Bank.

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