The Stream, June 25: Water Plan Needed for Australia’s Outback, Researcher Says

The Global Rundown

In Australia, researchers are calling for a water conservation plan in the Outback, where hydraulic fracturing will begin in the coming years. The second most water-stressed state in Mexico is pursuing shale oil development, despite already scarce water resources. A copper and nickel mine in Minnesota is one step closer to creation after a new report claimed it will not deplete water resources. To beat the water shortage threatening its biggest city, Peru is returning to its roots by using the ancient Andean water canals that delivered water in the past.

“Most young people traveled to Lima and forgot how to maintain the canals. So the old people, the old communeros, were running out of water.”– Oscar Angulo, a hydrologist with the Peruvian nongovernmental organization CONDESAN. Peruvians are revitalizing ancient Andean canals to bring water to Lima, which has been dealing with water shortages for months. (PRI’s The World)

By The Numbers

189 billion liters The amount of water used annually by cities in Coahuila, one of Mexico’s most water-stressed regions. Shale oil and gas drilling companies are poised to move into the region, raising concerns about whether the region’s scarce water supplies can sustain the new development. Circle of Blue

Science, Studies, And Reports

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources issued a report giving the green light to a copper and nickel mine in the northeastern part of the state. The report concluded that the mine would not have a major effect on water quality, but the project will still destroy more than 364 hectares of wetlands. The Star Tribune

On The Radar

The Australian government should create a protection plan for the Outback’s scarce water resources, according to Jenny Davis, a researcher at the University of Canberra. The call for water conservation follows a government announcement that hydraulic fracturing operations could begin in the region as early as next year. The Conversation