The Stream, June 2: India Expects Reduced Monsoon Rainfall

The Global Rundown

Forecasts for India’s monsoon dropped rainfall below 90 percent of average. Hydropower reserves are down in Brazil, but dam projects are booming in British Columbia. More than 400 people were aboard a passenger ship that capsized in the Yangtze River. The United States proposed stricter conservation measures for the threatened bull trout, and a United Kingdom water utility secured millions of dollars for infrastructure upgrades.

“British Columbia has the potential to be the bright light within the energy patch and even within Western Canadian economic development.”–Andrew Bradford, an analyst at Calgary-based investment company Raymond James Ltd., on the $36 billion in hydropower and liquefied natural gas projects up for bid in British Columbia this year. (Bloomberg)

By The Numbers

88 percent Rainfall, out of a 50-year average, that India’s annual monsoon is forecast to bring this year. The leader of the country’s central bank said poor rainfall is the biggest threat to India’s economy. Bloomberg

458 people Number aboard a passenger cruise ship that capsized in China’s Yangtze River. As of Tuesday morning, only 15 survivors had been rescued. CNN

$807 million Amount of a loan from the European Investment Bank to Severn Trent, a water utility in the United Kingdom, for infrastructure upgrades and expansion. Reuters

Science, Studies, And Reports

Threatened bull trout, a fish native to the western United States, could gain more targeted protection if conservation measures proposed today by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are approved. The range of the bull trout has declined by up to 60 percent since 1998, according to the FWS. Reuters

On The Radar

A persistent drought in Brazil is drawing down hydropower reserves. One hydropower company, Energias de Portugal, forecast it could lose between $165 and $219 million in earnings this year due to the drought. Reuters

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