The Stream, September 10: Australia Debates Murray-Darling Water Buy-back Funding

Water Politics
Australia’s Coalition party has revealed a controversial plan to cut $650 million from a government buyback program that purchases water to return to the Murray-Darling River for environmental flows, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. The party says the plan will slow the pace of buybacks, but will still deliver all of the water required by the Murray-Darling Basin Plan by 2019.

Water Supply
Northern atolls in the Marshall Islands could run out of water again due to a drought that hit the nation earlier this year, Australia Network News reported. The Red Cross, which has worked to provide emergency drinking water supplies, is calling for more efforts to help the islands adapt to climate change.

Communities in rural Kenya are using fog-catching systems to provide a supply of clean water, AlertNet reported. The systems help reduce the workload placed on women who before had to search for water, allowing them more time for other tasks.

Water Technology
China is hopeful that new developments in nanotechnology will help clean algae blooms from its lakes, Xinhua News reported. The blooms, caused by excess nutrient loading into the water from agricultural runoff and sewage, are unsightly and can kill aquatic organisms.

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