Entries by Kayla Ritter

HotSpots H2O, September 17: Tribal Clashes Leave Several Dead In Kenya as Resources, Aid Dry Up

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The Rundown Water shortages are stirring unrest across Kenya. In the Rift Valley, tribal clashes over water and pasture are common. Both domestic tribes and those from neighboring countries, including South Sudan and Ethiopia, spar frequently. In the past week, six Turkana herdsmen were shot dead near the Kenya-South Sudan border. Elsewhere in the Rift […]

The Stream, September 14: 20,000 Pallets of Water Bottles for Hurricane Maria Victims Found Abandoned in Puerto Rico

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The Global Rundown Thousands of pallets of water bottles, intended for Hurricane Maria victims in Puerto Rico, are found unused. Farmers in Uganda plant millions of trees to help replenish groundwater reserves. Hurricane Florence weakens to a Category 2, but still threatens flooding across the U.S. East Coast. The release of water from Cauvery Basin […]

Detroit Schools Shut Off Drinking Water After Finding Elevated Levels of Lead, Copper

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A task force will investigate the contamination and identify solutions.

The Stream, September 13: Manure Lagoons in North Carolina At Risk of Overflowing During Hurricane Florence Landfall

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The Global Rundown Hog farmers in North Carolina rush to drain manure lagoons ahead of Hurricane Florence. Iraq’s irrigated wheat area decreases by half due to drought. Colorado’s current drought is set to be the fourth-worst in 123 years. Zimbabwe declares a cholera emergency as the waterborne illness spreads. The state government in Kerala, India, […]

The Stream, September 12: In Afghanistan, Drought Displaces More People than Conflict, UN Finds

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The Global Rundown A United Nations report finds that more people in Afghanistan have been displaced this year by drought than by conflict. The “water mafia” in Karachi, Pakistan, continues to control the city’s water distribution despite reforms. Waterways run dry and wildfires blaze amid one of Utah’s driest summers on record. More than 1 […]

The Stream, September 11: Houston Pipeline Company Faces Nine Criminal Charges in California Oil Spill

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The Global Rundown A California jury finds the Plains All American Pipeline company guilty of nine criminal charges following a 2015 oil spill that polluted the state’s waters. Scientists launch a huge floating barrier to collect plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Residents of North Carolina’s barrier islands evacuate as Hurricane Florence nears. Heavy […]

HotSpots H2O, September 10: Deadly Protests in Iraq’s Oil Hub Driven by Polluted Water, Government Neglect

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The Rundown Protests over power outages, chronic unemployment, Iranian influence in domestic politics, and the city’s deteriorating water system escalated dangerously last week in Basra, the country’s economic capital. Demonstrators, some taking part in protests since July, attacked government offices, shut down Basra’s port, torched the Iranian consulate, and fired rockets at the city’s airport. […]

The Stream, September 7: Heavy Flooding Hits North Korea, Killing 76 and Displacing Thousands

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The Global Rundown Intense flooding in North Korea leaves dozens of people dead and missing. A magnitude 6.7 earthquake hits northern Japan, cutting off water to thousands of homes. Iraq closes its Basra seaport as protests over government neglect continue. The Trump administration lifts a ban on mining near the Boundary Waters area of Minnesota. […]

The Stream, September 6: Detroit Schools Install Water Coolers After Lead and Copper Found in 34 Buildings

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The Global Rundown The Detroit school system replaces drinking fountains with water coolers after lead is detected in several schools. Flood alerts are issued across five of India’s northern states. Tropical Storm Gordon makes landfall near the Alabama-Mississippi border. Another wave of protests over a lack of basic services breaks out in Basra, Iraq. A […]

Recovery Begins in Kerala, Where Historic Flooding Killed Hundreds

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More than 1 million Kerala residents were displaced by the worst flooding in a century.

The Stream, September 5: Water Use Spikes in Asia As Demand For Meat and Seafood Grows

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The Global Rundown Water use in Asia is set to rise as the continent’s appetite for meat and seafood grows. Tropical Storm Gordon barrels toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. India experiences its rainiest August in five years. International donors pledge more than $2 billion in aid to the parched Lake Chad region. As sea levels […]

The Stream, September 4: U.S. Army Corps Reaffirms Dakota Access Pipeline Environmental Permit

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The Global Rundown The U.S. Army Corps reaffirms its environmental permit for the Dakota Access Pipeline. Animal waste turns lakes green with algae in China. An outbreak of the waterborne disease leptospirosis hits flooded Kerala, India. German farmers fear that climate change could upset harvests for years to come. England’s major water utilities commit to […]