The Stream, March 18, 2021: Ethiopia Opposes Outside Mediation In Dam Negotiations

YOUR GLOBAL RUNDOWN

• Ethiopia rejects Sudan’s request for outside mediation for negotiating a controversial dam.
• A new report finds homeless residents of San Francisco lack adequate access to clean water.
• The city of Toledo, Ohio accepted $2 million to remove lead water lines throughout the city.
• Australian officials are asking for an explanation for millions of dollars spent by the Department of Agriculture for water buybacks.

The British government announced millions will be spent on reducing flood risk in coastal communities.

“This vital work reduces the risk of flooding to homes and businesses on the coast, and we’re delighted we can, once again, go ahead in line with coronavirus restrictions.” – Deborah Campbell, flood risk manager at the Environment Agency. The United Kingdom government announced £7 million ($8.3 million) will fund beach management work to reduce the risk of flooding for Lincolnshire’s coastal communities. The work, which includes replenishing sand on coastal beaches between Saltfleet and Gibraltar Point, will begin next month. The project is expected to protect 20,000 homes and businesses and 35,000 hectares of land from flooding.

IN RECENT WATER NEWS

In Case You Missed It:

Wetlands Can Help Prevent Property Damage and Save Lives During Floods – Some experts say there’s a way to reduce the effects of floods in the future: more wetland areas. 

Treaty Rights Acknowledged For First Time in Oil Pipeline’s Controversial History – Michigan’s Indigenous communities hold long-standing legal rights to protect lands and waters.

Report Finds Homeless In San Francisco Lack Access To Clean Water

A new report from the Coalition of Homelessness, a nonprofit in San Francisco, California, found that 68 percent of respondents in a recent survey said they face barriers to accessing daily water needs. The report said the pandemic has intensified the lack of access to clean water among unhoused San Franciscans, with a majority of survey respondents saying they don’t have access to 15 liters of water per day. The average San Franciscan consumes over 155 liters of water every day. The report included several recommendations, including guaranteeing “stable and permanent housing for all of San Francisco’s residents” in the long term and expanding city-wide efforts to provide “accessible, potable drinking water for all of its residents” in the short term.

TODAY’S TOP WATER STORIES, TOLD IN NUMBERS

$2 MILLION

The Toledo City Council accepted a $2 million grant from the Ohio Water Development Authority to replace around 800 lead water lines throughout the city. The Toledo Blade reports that the city’s director of public utilities, Ed Moore, estimates that 30,000 public lead water lines exist throughout the city, in addition to 3,000 private lines.

$80 MILLION

The Guardian reports that Labor party officials are demanding an explanation for an $80 million water buyback from Eastern Australia Agriculture, calling it a “waste of taxpayers’ money.” Sen. Rex Patrick is also calling for the bureaucrat in charge of the federal government’s $250 million program of water buybacks to resign after the Department of Agriculture may have paid $13 million too much for one purchase.

ON THE RADAR

The Associated Press reports that Ethiopia has rejected Sudan’s calls for outside mediators in negotiations over the filling and operating of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. On Monday, Sudan formally requested mediation by the European Union, the United States and the African Union to resolve the ongoing dispute.

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.