The Stream, May 14: Chile Denies Water Deals with Qatar

Chile denied a recent report on deals to export water to Qatar, ABC News reported. The report included a quote by Chilean Ambassador Jean Paul Tarud saying, “Chile has some of the largest fresh water export capabilities in the world.” Public backlash in Chilean social media followed the report. Chile has been suffering from drought and environmentalist groups have blamed government policies that exploit natural resources.

Deforestation Will Reduce Energy Output
It is likely that the loss of tropical rain forests will lead to less energy output in developing nations that rely on hydroelectric projects, according to a group of experts. This is contrary to the conventional belief that less trees result in an increase in river flow, The New York Times reported. Their findings state that the elimination of forests reduces rainfall and this indirect impact outweighs the direct increase in river flows. Up to 40 percent of hydropower could be lost due to deforestation by 2050.

Numbers: 2.4 BIllion
2.4 billion will lack sanitation by 2015, according to the World Health Organization’s Progress on Sanitation and Drinking-water 2013 update. In other words, Voice of America reported, almost a third of the world’s population will not have access to hygienic toilet facilities. This is a wake-up call, said Bruce Gordon, the acting coordinator for water, sanitation and health at WHO.

Number: 32.4 Million
32.4 million people were displaced due to natural disasters in 2012, according to a report by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. Reuters reported that the number is almost double of 2011 numbers. While 98 percent were displaced due to climate and weather hazards, 41 percent was due to major floods in India and Nigeria.

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