Entries by Codi Kozacek

The Stream, June 28: UK Increases Flood Defense Investments

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Floods and Climate Change The United Kingdom will increase its spending on flood defenses nearly 50 percent by 2015, tackling a problem that scientists say is the country’s biggest climate change risk, the Guardian reported. The government also reached an agreement with the insurance industry that will cap the premiums homeowners pay for flood insurance. […]

The Stream, June 26: Netherlands Using Big Data to Manage Water

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Floods The Netherlands’ new ‘Digital Delta’ project, headed by IBM, will collate vast and currently disparate data sets in order to better manage water resources in the country, The Wall Street Journal reported. The 1-year project aims to improve flood prediction and response, but will also provide an information “platform” for water entrepreneurs and scientists. […]

Central Europe: Flood Defenses and Responses Yield Mixed Results

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The second bout of massive flooding in little more than a decade reveals Europe’s patchwork progress on flood risk management.

The Stream, June 25: To Understand Groundwater Recharge, Scientists Study Rocks

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Science and Technology Scientists from Australia’s National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training are investigating how water moves through dense layers of rock to form and recharge aquifers, PhysOrg reported. The researchers hope that their work will improve the management of groundwater resources, which face extreme pressure in Australia and around the world. A new […]

The Stream, June 24: Power Out After Calgary Floods

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Canada Floods One of the worst floods in Calgary’s history has left portions of the city—including downtown—without power, and officials said some isolated pockets could be without electricity for weeks or even months, Reuters reported. Calgary is considered Canada’s “oil capital” because it hosts the headquarters of many major oil companies. India Floods Ongoing rains […]

The Stream, June 21: Australia Makes Water a ‘Legal Trigger’ for Energy Projects

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Federal Involvement in Water, Energy Concerns A newly passed law in Australia requires a federal expert committee to analyze any new coal seam gas and coal projects that affect water resources, increasing the federal government’s reach on water issues, Adelaide Now reported. The energy industry is pushing back against the law, saying that the oversight […]

The Stream, June 20: Assessing Water-Energy Relationships in Jordan

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Water and Energy To improve decision-making about water and energy, researchers at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs have developed a method for analyzing links between countries’ water and energy resources, as well as the institutions and stakeholders that manage these resources. Their study, which applies the method to Jordan, was published […]

The Stream, June 19: Extreme Weather Threatens World’s Poor

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Adapting to Extreme Weather The world’s poorest people will be hit hardest by extreme weather caused by climate change, according to a new report from the World Bank, the Guardian reported. The increasing frequency of droughts, floods and heat waves expected in some regions, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, could cut regional food supplies within 20 years, […]

The Stream, June 18: Drought Weakens Haiti’s Food Security

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Food Security The current drought in Haiti is one of several natural disasters that have damaged the country’s food supply and reduced the resilience of small farming communities, AlertNet reported. The United Nations World Food Programme warned that 1.5 million Haitians could go hungry. Floods At least 70 people are dead due to flash floods […]

The Stream, June 17: The Earliest Indian Monsoon

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A quickly advancing monsoon covered India by June 16, the earliest date on record and one month before usual, AlertNet reported. The early rains will help improve the growth and yields of summer crops like rice and soybeans, analysts said. Scarce Water Supplies Tight water supplies are getting even tighter in Jordan, as half a […]

The Stream, June 13: Dirty Water Contributes to Child Malnutrition

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Unclean water and poor access to sanitation could be major factors behind malnutrition, according to new research, Bloomberg News reported. Repeated exposure to pathogens can diminish the effectiveness of the intestines, making it difficult for children to take in nutrients even when they are fed an adequate diet. Water Disputes Texas will not be able […]

The Stream, June 11: More Flooding Ahead For World’s Major Rivers

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Severe flooding will likely increase in many of the world’s major river basins due to climate change, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change, AlertNet reported. The study reviewed 29 rivers and found that the Mekong, Nile, and Amazon rivers, among others, will become more prone to severe floods, while […]