The Stream, July 3: China Faces Challenge to Clean Up Groundwater

Pollution
China plans to invest $US 81.5 million by 2020 to document and mitigate groundwater pollution, Nature reported. The plan is in response to a 6-year survey of groundwater in the North China Plain that found serious levels of pollution from sources such as fertilizers and industrial waste.

Climate Change
The world has been warming at an “unprecedented” rate since 2000, according to the United Nations, putting the 2-degree Celsius warming limit further out of reach, Bloomberg News reported. The rising temperatures will have “far-reaching implications” for the environment, said the World Meteorological Organization’s Secretary-General.

Nepal is working to develop and improve an early warning system for floods with a $US 31 million project funded by the country’s Ministry of Finance and the World Bank that is meant to aid the country in climate adaptation, AlertNet reported. Severe monsoon flooding raised awareness about the issue.

Desalination
Several cities in South Africa, including Durban and Cape Town, are considering large desalination plants to augment their water supplies, Bloomberg News reported. A feasibility study for a plant in Durban has been completed.

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