The Stream, July 31: Energy Production, Population Will Place Significant Pressure on Water

Energy
Energy production using current sources and technology, coupled with a growing global population, will likely lead to large water deficits by 2040, according to a new study from the CNA Corporation, Aljazeera America reported. Power generation is one of the largest uses of water in the world, but switching to energy sources like wind and solar could help improve water efficiency, the report said.

Gaza
The price of drinking water has tripled in the past week in parts of Gaza, where residents face increasingly severe water shortages and power outages, NPR reported. Water pumps have stopped working due to a lack of electricity, and many wells are inaccessible due to ongoing fighting.

India
E-waste recycling plants in India’s National Capital Region are polluting soil and water with heavy metals like lead and cadmium, according to a report released by Toxics Link, the Times of India reported. Informal recycling plants are especially risky due to very little pollution control measures, the report found.

Conservation
A new policy in South Australia will for the first time require forestry companies to buy water licenses, ABC Rural reported. The policy is part of the state’s plan to conserve water resources, and has been met with stiff opposition from the industry due to debates about how much water forests consume.

Wetlands continue to disappear at a growing rate in the United States, with the rate of loss increasing from 24,000 hectares (60,000 acres) per year to 32,000 hectares (80,000 acres) per year between 1998 and 2009, Yale Environment 360 reported. Renewed focus, however, is being placed on restoring coastal wetlands to guard against coastal flooding and erosion that is being exacerbated by climate change.

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