The Stream, October 23: South Africa Drought Could Spell Water Shortages in Major Cities

The Global Rundown

Water supplies are tight in South Africa due to a drought and high demand, according to a utility serving two of the country’s major cities. Conflict and erratic rainfall threaten millions of people with food insecurity in South Sudan, while urbanization is pressuring Kenya’s Lake Nakuru. A bottling plant in China was found tampering with sewage monitoring data. The Ford Motor Company said it aims to eliminate water from its operations as much as possible to guard against future shortages.

“We want to find ways that totally reduce our footprint, that — to the extent we can — do not use water. We don’t know how to get to a full zero yet, but we’re getting close.”–Andy Hobbs, director of Ford Motor Company’s environmental quality office, on the automaker’s plans to drastically cut down on water use in order to protect its operations from increasingly common shortages. (International Business Times)

By The Numbers

3.9 million people Number facing severe food insecurity in South Sudan due to conflict, erratic rainfall, and rising food prices. Approximately 30,000 people in Unity state could starve if aid organizations are not allowed access, according to the United Nations. Bloomberg

45 million people Population of Nakuru, Kenya, which has doubled in size in the past 30 years. Urbanization there and in surrounding areas threatens Lake Nakuru due to deforestation and water withdrawals. Reuters

Science, Studies, And Reports

A beverage bottling plant in China’s Gansu province tampered with the way it collected data on its sewage releases, according to a report by the country’s environmental protection bureau. As a result, authorities temporarily detained one of the plant’s executives. Reuters

On The Radar

A drought in South Africa is threatening more than half a million people with food shortages and may cause localized water cuts in Johannesburg and Pretoria. The cities’ water utility said increased demand due to high temperatures is compounding the problem and urged residents to conserve water. Bloomberg

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