The Stream, August 29: World Water Week Begins In Stockholm

The Global Rundown

World Water Week commenced Sunday in Stockholm, where scientists called for improvements in rainwater management to reduce hunger in Africa. Mexico’s environmental prosecuting agency defended its actions following revelations about a contaminated water leak at the country’s largest gold mine. India’s Supreme Court will begin hearings this week on a dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over water supplies in the Cauvery River Basin. Human rights groups are focusing attention on the fate of indigenous communities displaced to preserve the environment. Newly elected members of parliament in Australia’s Northern Territory have voiced support for a moratorium on fracking there. Environmentalists in Turkey say a major new bridge will damage forests and water supplies.

“Large parts of the world are struggling to adapt to a drier reality, but challenges are especially dire in Africa’s drylands. Africa’s climate is its Achilles Heel.” –Malin Falkenmark, senior scientific advisor to the Stockholm International Water Institute, calling for better management of rainwater to achieve food security in Africa under the Sustainable Development Goals. Falkenmark and other scientists spoke on the first day of World Water Week, which kicked off in Stockholm Sunday and continues throughout the week. Join Circle of Blue and SIWI Tuesday, August 30 for a global interactive broadcast to explore how droughts, floods, and other water problems are stranding assets in the energy, mining, and agricultural industries. (World Water Week)

By The Numbers

5 administrative proceedings Number Mexico’s environmental prosecuting agency said it has completed since 2013 in relation to the Penasquito gold mine, the country’s largest. The agency was recently accused of neglecting its duty when a news investigation last week uncovered that a leak of contaminated water at the mine was not reported to the public. Reuters

$22.4 billion Estimated economic worth of developing the shale gas resources in Australia’s Northern Territory over the next 20 years. Residents, however, largely voted representatives of the Labor Party into office during the territory’s parliamentary election on Saturday. The party has proposed a moratorium on fracking for shale gas pending more information about the environmental risks. Reuters

1.4 kilometers Length of the $3 billion Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge that opened Friday across the Bosphorus Strait near Istanbul. The bridge has faced opposition from conservationists who say it will lead to more construction, destroying forests and contaminating water supplies. Reuters

Science, Studies, And Reports

Researchers and human rights activists are calling attention to the growing plight of indigenous communities that have been displaced by national parks and nature reserves in the name of conservation. Even as governments crack down on hunting in protected areas, they are at times allowing mining and other development to occur. Guardian

On The Radar

India’s Supreme Court will begin hearings September 2 on a water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Under an agreement between the two states, Karnataka is required to send a specific amount of water from the Cauvery River Basin downstream to Tamil Nadu, but officials say drought conditions have made it impossible for them to make the full delivery. Times of India