The Stream, February 3: World Has Not Woken Up to Realities of Water Crisis, IPCC Chair Says

The Global Rundown

The world has not acknowledged the depth of water crises it could face due to climate change, according to the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Floods are wreaking havoc in Turkey and Bulgaria, while low snowpack in the Sierra Nevada doesn’t bode well for relief from California’s drought. Hospitals on Pacific islands are at risk from rising seas, indigenous communities are protesting oil exploration in the Amazon, and nearly 1 million households have registered for water charges in Ireland.

“Unfortunately, the world has not really woken up to the reality of what we are going to face in terms of the crises as far as water is concerned,”–Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, on risks to global water security. (Reuters)

By The Numbers

8 people Number killed by a major storm in Turkey, which has caused flooding that one local governor called the disaster of the century. Reuters

$12.8 million Damages to roads that floods in Bulgaria caused within a 24-hour period, prompting the country to seek assistance from the European Union. Bloomberg

900,000 homes Number, out of 1.5 million, that have registered with Irish Water to accept water charges. The first bills will be sent in April. Irish Times

Science, Studies, And Reports

Satellite images from NASA show that California’s Sierra Nevada snowpack is even smaller now than at this time last year, though rains in December did help to green some of the state’s landscapes. NOAA

On The Radar

Several hospitals on Pacific islands are at increasing risk from sea level rise, king tides, and drought, threatening their ability to supply safe drinking water, according to the World Health Organization’s environmental health specialist for the region. Radio New Zealand

Indigenous communities in Peru’s Amazon are protesting oil development in the region by blocking boats from traveling along the River Tigre, which they say has been polluted by oil operations. Guardian

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