The Stream, March 30: Yemen War Harms Children, Water Infrastructure

The Global Rundown

The ongoing conflict in Yemen has put millions of children at risk and is pushing the country’s water and other basic infrastructure to the brink of collapse. Millions of U.S. residents could experience earthquakes in the next year, many of which may be linked to wastewater disposal from oil and gas wells. Fracking for oil and gas affected groundwater near a small Wyoming town, researchers found, and oil spilled near a bayou in Louisiana this week. Low water levels and subsequent power shortages in Zambia are forcing mines to cut back on their electricity usage.

“Geologic and groundwater conditions at Pavillion are not unique in the Rocky Mountain region. This suggests there may be widespread impact to underground sources of drinking water as a result of unconventional oil and gas extraction.” –Dominic DiGiulio, a visiting scholar at the Stanford School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences, on a new study he led that found fracking has affected groundwater supplies in Pavillion, Wyoming. (Stanford Report)

By The Numbers

43,500 liters Amount of oil spilled from a tank in Louisiana late Monday, with an unknown amount making it into the waters of a nearby bayou. Associated Press

6 children Average number killed each day in Yemen’s civil war, according to a report by the United Nations Children’s Fund. The report also said the war has damaged basic infrastructure, including water systems, so that they are on the verge of total collapse. Reuters

Science, Studies, And Reports

Seven million people in the eastern and central United States are at risk from earthquakes in the next year, with the highest populations at risk in Oklahoma and Texas, according to a U.S. Geological Survey study. These areas have seen a dramatic increase in the number earthquakes over the past four decades, and scientists believe recent seismic activity is likely linked to the underground injection of wastewater from oil and gas wells. Guardian

On The Radar

Mining companies in Zambia are expected to use 10 to 15 percent less electricity this year as they continue to adapt to power shortages in the country, according to power utility officials. The shortages have primarily been caused by low water levels at Zambia’s major hydropower dams. Xinhua

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