The Stream, June 22: Pakistan Heat Wave Turns Deadly Without Water

The Global Rundown

Power outages left residents of Karachi, Pakistan, without water and air-conditioning during a searing heat wave over the weekend, while fuel shortages threatened hospital water supplies in war-torn Syria. The Earth could be entering a sixth great extinction event due to human activity, scientists found. Food companies operating in India struggle to ensure safety standards, and Israel turns to wastewater recycling to secure water supplies.

“With so many hospitals now at a risk of closure, the lives of many Syrians are in even greater danger. Fuel is needed to run water pumps for clean water, to run incubators for newborns and to run ambulances for lifesaving care.”–Dounia Dekhili, Medecins Sans Frontieres’ program manager for Syria, on a disruption in fuel supplies caused by fighting in the country’s northern region. (Reuters)

By The Numbers

120 people Number killed by a heat wave in Karachi, Pakistan, after a power outage left many residents without water and air-conditioning. Reuters

1/4 Share of Israel’s water supply provided by recycled sewage water, much of it going toward agricultural irrigation. NPR

Science, Studies, And Reports

Animal species are disappearing so rapidly that the world could be experiencing its sixth great extinction event, according to a study published by an international group of scientists. The study found that, due to human influence, extinction rates are 100 times higher than they would have been in the 20th and early 21st century. Newsweek

On The Radar

International food corporations operating in India are struggling to ensure the safety of their products. Polluted water, poor storage, and small-scale farms all challenge the industry’s ability to meet standards across its supply chain. 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