The Stream, July 21, 2020: Flooding Continues to Wreak Havoc in Rural China

The Global Rundown

Devastating flooding continues to wreak havoc on rural China. New Mexico is granted access to billions of gallons of water after a drought left large portions of the Rio Grande dry. Millions of people are displaced due to intense flooding in India and Nepal. A new study from a Japanese university finds terrestrial water could have originated inside the snow line. Many UK residents are still waiting for their homes to be repaired after winter flooding.

“Everything should’ve been done by the middle of May. That’s when the kitchen would’ve been fitted, the carpets would’ve been laid. [The pandemic] added at least another month to the work and extra costs.” –Daniel Greenslade, a British resident who was forced to evacuate his home with his partner and newborn daughter after it flooded in November. Renovations on their home, like many Brits who were affected by winter flooding, were stalled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many residents are still waiting to see when renovations will even begin, blaming insurance companies’ late response. The Guardian

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By The Numbers

38,000 acre-feet Amount of stored water that New Mexico can now access after receiving permission from neighboring states. The state’s Rio Grande Compact Commissioner John D’Antonio submitted the emergency request after little rainfall, low runoff and high temperatures have left large stretches of the river south of Albuquerque dry. Page Pegram, the Rio Grande Basin Manager for the Interstate Stream Commission, said that this is a short-term solution and, in the future, they are looking for better ways to share the water. Albuquerque Journal

4 million People who have been displaced by three waves of floods in India and Nepal since early May. Over half of those displaced are from the Indian state of Assam, where 79 people have died. In Nepal, more than 100 have died in floods and landslides since June, officials said. Floods and landslides are common during the rainy season, which annually devastates the region. Reuters

Science, Studies, and Reports

A group of scientists out of Hokkaido University found that heating interstellar organic matter at high temperatures could yield abundant water and oil. The study adds to the mounting research into the origin of water on earth, which previously suggested that terrestrial water had been delivered by comets or meteorites containing hydrous silicates from outside the “snow line,” or boundary beyond where ice can condense due to low temperatures. The new study suggests that water can be produced within the snow line, without the contribution of comets and meteorites. Hokkaido University 

On the Radar

Torrential rain continued to ravage China over the weekend during the worst bout of flooding in over 30 years. Since the unusually devastating rains began at the beginning of the month, 141 people have died or gone missing and at least 28,000 homes have been destroyed. The major city of Wuhan declared red alerts as heavy rains forced rivers and lakes to rise dramatically. Voice of America

Jane Johnston

Jane is a Communications Associate for Circle of Blue. She writes The Stream and has covered domestic and international water issues for Circle of Blue. She is a recent graduate of Grand Valley State University, where she studied Multimedia Journalism and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. During her time at Grand Valley, she was the host of the Community Service Learning Center podcast Be the Change. Currently based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jane enjoys listening to music, reading and spending time outdoors.