The Stream, September 16: Land Degradation Costs World Trillions, Study Finds

The Global Rundown

Expanding deserts and other forms of land degradation cost the world trillions of dollars each year and prompt migrations, a new report found. Hydraulic fracturing accounts for a small portion of industrial water use in the United States. El Nino threatens New Zealand with drought and could harm its economy. Guinea is considering a hydropower dam that would nearly double its energy production. An infographic shows each country’s relative contribution and vulnerability to climate change.

“One third of the world is vulnerable to land degradation; one third of Africa is threatened by desertification.”–A new report by The Economics of Land Degradation, which found that desertification and land degradation costs the world as much as $US 10.6 trillion a year and also forces communities to migrate. (Reuters)

By The Numbers

$2 billion Cost of a proposed hydropower dam in Guinea. The 550-megawatt dam, meant primarily to serve the mining industry, would nearly double the country’s energy production. Bloomberg

Science, Studies, And Reports

Hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas in the United States accounts for less than 1 percent of total industrial water use in the country, according to a new study from Duke University. The study found that fracking used 946 billion liters of water and produced 794 billion liters of wastewater between 2005 and 2014. Duke Today

Researchers at George Washington University created an infographic showing each country’s carbon dioxide emissions relative to its vulnerability to climate change. Countries in Africa are some of the most vulnerable but contribute very little to global emissions, while countries in Asia, Europe, and North America produce most emissions and are less vulnerable. George Washington University

On The Radar

An El Nino-fueled drought is expected to hurt New Zealand’s agricultural sector and, if it is severe, could contribute to a contraction in the country’s economy, according to financial experts. Agriculture accounts for 9 percent of New Zealand’s gross domestic product and one-third of its export earnings. 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