The Stream, April 8, 2021: Taiwan Imposes Water Restrictions As Drought Worsens

YOUR GLOBAL RUNDOWN

• Over one million homes and businesses in Taiwan were told to ration water as the country faces its worst drought in almost six decades.
• Negotiations stall over filling and operating a controversial Ethiopian dam.
• Connecticut health officials are urging homes that rely on well water to test their systems for arsenic and uranium.
• California could face another season of extremely dry weather as the wet season unofficially comes to an end.

Survivors of Tropical Cyclone Seroja struggle to find shelter, food, and water.

“I don’t blame anyone, but I hope the authorities will hopefully try to reduce this water in the future. The big problem now is the provision of clean water and food.” – Kanisius Elo, whose home in Timor-Leste flooded after Tropical Cyclone Seroja hit the region. At least 157 people in Indonesia and Timor-Leste were killed in the wake of torrential rains that caused landslides and flooding. Those who survived are struggling with sudden homelessness and lack of food and water, the Guardian reports.

IN RECENT WATER NEWS

In Case You Missed It:

HotSpots H2O: Indigenous Environmental Activist Shot and Killed in Honduras – The environmental activist Carlos Cerros was killed in Honduras, in the town of Nueva Granada, at the end of March, local media reported.

What’s Up With Water – April 5, 2021 – This week’s episode covers a special election in Greenland, international research that sheds light on an overlooked source of pollution in marine waters and a massive coastal restoration project in Louisiana.

Ethiopian Dam Negotiations Fail To Move Forward

Egypt and Sudan said the latest round of discussions with Ethiopia to resolve a dispute over filling and operating the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam failed to progress, the Associated Press reports. Four days of meetings concluded without a resolution as Ethiopia rejected an Egyptian-backed proposal from Sudan to include international mediators in the talks.

TODAY’S TOP WATER STORIES, TOLD IN NUMBERS

4 PERCENT

A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey found that almost four percent of private wells in Connecticut have elevated levels of arsenic and almost five percent have higher concentrations of uranium than are acceptable under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. The Associated Press reports that the study prompted Connecticut health officials to urge homeowners to test their wells for the contaminants.

• In context: Household Wells in the United States

1 MILLION +

As Taiwan experiences its worst drought in nearly 60 years, more than one million homes and businesses in the country’s central region were told on Tuesday to ration water, The Straits Times reports. On water rationing days, which are set to occur twice a week, various restrictions will be in place including no shampoo treatments at hair salons and no car washing at petrol stations.

ON THE RADAR

California officials announced that expected snow accumulation in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains was 40 percent below average. The Independent reports that this could spur another severe drought in the state, which is still recovering from drought conditions between 2012 and 2017.

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.