The Stream, June 4, 2019: A Lack of Monsoon Rains Depletes India’s Reservoirs

The Global Rundown

Late monsoon rains stress water supplies for millions in India. Researchers say heat may have a more detrimental impact on crops than drought. Huge swathes of the Midwestern United States are still experiencing flooding. Two rural water agencies plan to secede from California’s San Diego County Water Authority. Large-scale avocado farming in Chile strains water sources.

“People here don’t want our avocados to be exported because when they export our fruit they are exporting our water.” –Catalina Espinoza, a resident of Petorca, Chile, in reference to the water consequences of the region’s booming avocado industry. Chile is the world’s third-largest exporter of the fruit, but residents say large-scale avocado companies are sapping Petorca and other areas of their water supply. Reuters

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By The Numbers

11 percent Current water levels in key reservoirs in western India. Overdue monsoon rains and a heat wave are jeopardizing water supplies in India’s western and southern states, leaving millions of people at risk of water scarcity. Reuters

50,000 People served by two water agencies, the Fallbrook Public Utility District and the Rainbow Municipal Water District, in rural San Diego County. Customers of the two agencies are frustrated with rising water costs at the San Diego County Water Authority, and are considering buying water from neighboring Riverside County instead. For Rainbow, the move would save customers $5.7 million a year. Voice of San Diego

In context: Price of Water 2018: Utilities Revise Household Water Rate Formulas.

Science, Studies, and Reports

Rising temperatures may prove more detrimental to future U.S. crop yields than drought, according to a new study by Cornell University. Researchers modeled potential outcomes for six crops, and found that heat stress could have the greatest influence on crop yields in coming decades. Phys.org

On the Radar

Floodwaters continue to swamp parts of the Midwestern United States, with the most recent deluge taking place in Oklahoma. Farmers, homeowners, and businesses in nearly every Midwestern state are struggling to recover from the unprecedented flooding, which has come amid the wettest 12 months on record in the U.S. The Guardian

In context: Historic Missouri River Flood Damages Water Infrastructure.

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