The Stream, November 16, 2021: Residents in Banjul Slums Face Flooding As Sea Levels Rise

YOUR GLOBAL RUNDOWN

• A river in north Africa is receding due to drought and over-pumping, allowing saltwater to seep into the area’s groundwater supplies.
• Water projects across the Navajo Nation could cost $4 billion.
• Low-income residents in the slums of Gambia’s capital city face severe flooding as sea levels rise and infrastructure deteriorates.
• The Court of Justice of the European Union will handle violations to the E.U. Drinking Water Directives by Ireland.

World leaders reach a climate agreement, disappointing many environmental activists.

“We are in fact closer than we have ever been before to avoiding climate chaos and securing cleaner air, safer water and a healthier planet.” – US climate envoy John Kerry. World leaders reached a climate agreement at COP26 late last week, which many environmental activists say they are disappointed with. Al Jazeera reports that the agreement was applauded for continuing the mission of the Paris agreement with hopes of limiting global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius. Many, however, were disappointed with a last-minute revision that called for countries to “phase down” the use of coal rather than completely “phase out.”

IN RECENT WATER NEWS

In Case You Missed It:  

What’s Up With Water – November 15, 2021 – This week’s episode cover’s a hunger crisis in Afghanistan and a project in New Jersey’s largest city to remove lead service lines.

HotSpots H2O: In Afghanistan, Political Upheaval Aggravates Drought-Fueled Famine – Drought, a financial crisis, and political collapse are accelerating the country’s decline into all-out famine.

A Vital North African River Is Receding Due to Drought and Over-Pumping

Years of drought and over-pumping, the Moulouya river in North Africa has stopped flowing into the Mediterranean Sea, according to Phys.org. As the river dries, saltwater has slowly crept into the area’s groundwater, indicating an inevitable disaster for farmers along the Algerian border. The crisis along the river also threatens wildlife and natural vegetation along its path.

TODAY’S TOP WATER STORIES, TOLD IN NUMBERS

$4 BILLION

Earlier this month, the Resources and Development Committee for the Navajo Nation approved a resolution for a request to the U.S. Congress and President Joe Biden for additional federal funding for water projects. While no official amount was given for the cost of those projects, the Navajo Times reports that officials estimate they will cost around $4 billion dollars.

11 DAYS

The Guardian reports that low-income residents in the slums of Gambia’s capital city, Banjul, disproportionately suffer from flooding as sea levels continue to rise and overflow a local canal. To make matters worse, gutters and drains throughout the city have become clogged with waste, making flooding even more common.

ON THE RADAR

The European Commission will refer Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union to for failure to comply with drinking water requirements, according to Reuters. In a statement released last Friday, the Commission said levels of the chemical compounds trihalomethanes (THMs) in drinking water exceed parameters set by the Drinking Water Directive in “a number of water supply zones” throughout Ireland.

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.