The Stream, June 17, 2021: Peru’s Water Sector Finally Invests In Natural Infrastructure

YOUR GLOBAL RUNDOWN

• A movement to build and maintain natural infrastructure in Peru is gaining ground.
• A judge in Louisiana blocks a Biden administration order that paused new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters.
• Over 8,000 women and children have been displaced and lack clean water due to gang violence in Haiti.
• A top Iranian meteorological official says the country received less than five inches of rain in the last nine months.

A new study finds the risks to water outweigh the economic benefits of proposed mines in Alberta, Canada.

“This is one of those few, massive, intergenerational questions that will maybe confront people once or twice in their lifespan. It is a defining question.” – Brad Stelfox, the lead author of a new report on coal mines in Alberta’s Rocky Mountain foothills. Canada’s National Observer reports that a new study found the environmental problems caused by coal mines in Alberta’s Rocky Mountain foothills outweigh their economic benefits. The report focuses on water impacts such as selenium contamination, which can be toxic to fish in large doses. The mines could also greatly affect water levels in small headwater streams. The study notes that there is no extensive research on minimum water levels for maintaining the ecosystem.

IN RECENT WATER NEWS

In Case You Missed It:  

HotSpots H2O: Farmer-Herder Violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt Persists, a Consequence of Drought and Climate Change – Nigeria’s central states, a region referred to as the Middle Belt, have been overwhelmed by violence for the better part of a decade.

What’s Up With Water – June 14, 2021 – This week’s episode covers new findings from an investigation of a destructive landslide in northern India last year, a rural Canadian community’s fight for clean drinking water, and an airborne pollution monitoring program that found traces of PFAS chemicals in rain samples from the Great Lakes region.

Louisiana Judge Blocks Biden Administration’s Attempt To Halt Drilling Leases On Public Lands

Judge Terry A. Doughty of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana blocked the Biden administration’s suspension of new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters, the New York Times reports. The move is the first major legal roadblock for President Biden’s quest to cut fossil fuel pollution and conserve public lands. Louisiana was one of 13 states that sued to overturn the executive order in March.

TODAY’S TOP WATER STORIES, TOLD IN NUMBERS

8,500 WOMEN AND CHILDREN 

UNICEF said in a statement on Tuesday that nearly 8,500 women and children who have been displaced in Haiti due to gang violence urgently need clean water. Al Jazeera reports that clashes between rival gangs escalated over the past two weeks and hundreds of homes have been burned down or damaged by the fighting.

130 MILLIMETERS (4 INCHES)

A top Iranian meteorological official said that the country has only received around 130 millimeters, or four inches, of rain since September of 2020, Iran International reports. As temperatures have risen over the past decade, Iran has suffered from continuous drought. The official predicted that Iran’s rainy season will begin late this year, which could prolong the drought well into 2022.

ON THE RADAR

In a desperate attempt for water security, Peruvian officials passed a series of laws several years ago requiring water utilities to invest in natural infrastructure, BBC reports. High turnover in government and unwillingness from the water sector stymied progress on implementation. Now, the effort is gaining momentum as 40 of the country’s 50 water utilities have raised more than $30 million to invest in projects across the country.

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.