The Stream, August 23: Bankruptcy Looms for Drought-Hit Danish Farmers

The Global Rundown

Farmers across Denmark face bankruptcy as drought ravages crops. Water levels in Hungary’s Danube river drop to record lows, disrupting shipping operations in the country. Rivers in Karnataka, India, overflow while lakes in the state go dry. Mexican farmers allege that “hail cannons” used by Volkswagen are causing drought in the state of Puebla. Hurricane Lane, now a Category 5, barrels toward Hawaii. A Kenyan charity focused on improving water and sanitation services in slums wins the world’s largest humanitarian prize.

“We are going to have bigger (slums) and a bigger (water) crisis. So, we better start now.” –Kennedy Odede, head of the Shining Hope For Communities (SHOFCO), which was recently awarded the $2 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize. The prize will go toward improving water, sanitation, and health services in Kenyan slums. Reuters

Latest WaterNews from Circle of Blue

What’s Up With Water – August 20, 2018 – “What’s Up With Water” condenses the need-to-know news on the world’s water into a weekly snapshot. Coverage this week includes: devastating monsoon flooding in Kerala, water shortages in Delhi, and drought in Australia.

HotSpots H2O, August 20: Taliban Attack on Ghazni, Afghanistan, Cuts Off Water, Power – After a five-day siege, conditions in Ghazni remain “particularly grim,” according to the United Nations. The battle shut down water supply, electricity, and telecommunications in the city of 270,000.

By The Numbers

$1.23 billion Projected agricultural losses in Denmark, where crops are wilting amid one of the country’s hottest summers on record. So far this year, 20 agricultural businesses and 100 farmers have declared bankruptcy. Reuters

25 percent Amount that freight vessels along the Danube can currently be filled due to record-low water levels in the river. Ongoing summer drought has parched rivers throughout Europe, affecting freight and cruise ship operations. Reuters

Science, Studies, And Reports

This summer, German automaker Volkswagen (VW) began using “hail cannons,” shockwave generators that curb the formation of hail in the atmosphere, to protect vehicles in its outdoor car lots in Mexico’s Puebla state. Farmers, however, claim the practice has disrupted all precipitation in the area, pushing the region into drought. The Puebla government says it will work with VW and the farmers to reach an agreement on the issue. Deutsche Welle

On The Radar

Hawaii residents are preparing for heavy rains and possible flash flooding from Hurricane Lane, which was upgraded to a Category 5 storm on Tuesday night. The National Weather Service says it is too soon to determine how the hurricane will impact Hawaii, but its current path will bring it “dangerously close” to the state’s main islands. The New York Times

Spotlight: India

Follow The Stream for daily coverage on India’s water crisis.

Karnataka, India, is currently grappling with both drought and flood conditions. Heavy monsoon rains and mismanagement of the state’s Cauvery reservoirs have left certain areas of the state inundated, while other water-bodies in Karnataka remain dry. The Times of India

Kayla Ritter

Kayla Ritter is a recent graduate of Michigan State University, where she studied International Relations and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She is currently based in Manton, Michigan. Kayla enjoys running, writing, and traveling. Contact Kayla Ritter