HotSpots: October 17: Only Three Boreholes Remain in Embattled Raqqa, Syria

Hotspots H2O: Global Rundown

Zambian villagers win the right to sue Vedanta Resources in English courts after a Vedanta-owned copper mine polluted the village’s water supply. The Yemen cholera epidemic is now considered the worst in modern history as it approaches the millionth case. Peru begins construction of water infrastructure in the violent Vraem jungle area, a hotbed of the Maoist Shining Path guerilla movement. Only three boreholes remain in embattled Raqqa, Syria, forcing residents to drastically cut water consumption. Heavy flooding swamps thousands of families in conflict-ridden Pibor, South Sudan.

“Before the water, life was not so bad. But, at the same time, our country is suffering. Now with this water, we have many problems, hunger, diseases, nowhere to sleep.” –Nyaidok Olivia, a resident of Pibor, South Sudan, in reference to recent flooding brought on by torrential rains. War in South Sudan had already limited resources in Pibor; now, many homes have been swept away and the risk of waterborne disease is on the rise. Relief Web

By The Numbers

115 Number of water and sewerage projects that will soon be constructed in Peru’s southeastern Vraem jungle, an area notorious for violence and drug trafficking. The projects are part of a plan to bring potable water and sewage services to 100 percent of Peru’s population by 2021. Business News Americas

815,000 Number of reported cholera cases in Yemen, based on the latest World Health Organization estimates. The epidemic is now considered the largest and fastest-spreading outbreak of the waterborne disease in modern history, with total cases projected to reach one million by the end of 2017. The Guardian

Science, Studies, And Reports

Only three operational boreholes remain in Raqqa, Syria, according to the most recently-published Situation Overview. The diminished water supply is forcing residents to limit drinking water and modify hygiene practices. Electricity and health services are also completely unavailable in the city as the Syrian army fights to gain control of ISIL’s few remaining strongholds. Relief Web

On The Radar

On Friday, London’s Court of Appeal ruled that a group of 1,826 Zambian villagers have the right to sue Vedanta Resources in English courts. The villagers claim that the Vedanta-owned Nchanga Copper Mine destroyed their land and livelihood after polluting the village water supply, and their case will now be heard by the English legal system. Reuters