The Stream, July 18: Using Global Farmland Efficiently Could Feed 3 Billion More

Agriculture
More than half of the fertilizer applied to farmland globally is unnecessary, while 8 to 15 percent of the water used is wasted, according to a new study published in the journal Science, the Guardian reported. Better use of resources could help current farmland produce enough food to feed 3 billion more people, the study found.

Irrigated agriculture in Egypt’s desert, once fed by natural springs, now relies on mechanical pumps that are drawing down water supplies in the Nubian Aquifer, Inter Press Service reported. Some wells must be drilled as far as 1 kilometer underground to reach water.

India
A severe drought in Maharashtra state has led to water rationing in cities like Pune, which is receiving water every other day, the Economic Times reported. Approximately 1,600 towns are receiving water from tanker trucks.

Water and Energy
Small earthquakes in Colorado were the result of the underground disposal of wastewater from oil and gas drilling operations, according to state officials, Reuters reported. The disposal site was initially shut down but has resumed limited activity, which will be monitored by state regulatory agencies.

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