Monthly Archive for January, 2011

Page 2 of 6

Keeping the waters wild – Paddler challenges run-of-river projects

Published on 01/28/2011 in dams, hydropower, rivers and water diversions. 0 Comments Tags: abottsford, hydropower, independent power producers, IPPs, rivers, run of river, ryan bayes.

“For elite-level kayaker Ryan Bayes of Abbotsford, paddling B.C.’s myriad creeks and rivers is as close as he’ll get to heaven on Earth.

““I love the exploration and adventure of not doing the same old thing every day,” said Bayes, 27. “Sometimes, I’ll hike two or three hours to get to a creek that has no road going to it. Sometimes it’s a total waste of time.

““But sometimes I’ll end up in a canyon where no human being has probably been before.”

“These days, Bayes’s paddling pursuit has an added element of urgency. He’s concerned about the proliferation of run-of-river Independent Power Producers (IPPs) – privately operated hydroelectric stations, generally on streams in heavily forested regions of the province.”

Lingering drought may cut water supply in east China province

Published on 01/28/2011 in drought, tap water and water shortage. 0 Comments Tags: china, drought, water shortage.

Photo retrieved from: seawayblog.blogspot.com

“Water supplies to nearly one million people will cease if a drought in east China’s Shandong Province lasts until the end of March, disaster prevention officials warned Thursday, as much of China’s northern region continued to experience less than average rainfall, which started months ago.

“The drought is the worst in six decades, said Yang Zhendong, director of the provincial flood and drought control office.

“Little rain has fallen in the province since September, with only 12 millimeters since September 23, about 15 percent of the normal level, he said.

“Officials said some 3.2 million people across the province have been affected by the shortage.”

Botswana Appeals Court allows Kalahari’s indigenous Bushmen water rights in their homeland

Published on 01/28/2011 in uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: African water rights, African wells.

Photo retrieved from: roadtoadoption.com

“GABORONE, Botswana (AP) — An appeals court in Botswana ruled Thursday that indigenous dwellers in one of the driest parts of the world can now drill wells for water, overturning an earlier decision that denied them access.

“The Botswana Court of Appeals said the Bushmen people were entitled to use a well already established on their traditional land in the Kalahari Game Reserve and allowed to excavate new ones. The court’s decision reverses a July ruling that took away drilling rights from the Bushmen, also known as the Basarwa.

“The government has argued that their presence in the reserve is not compatible with preserving wildlife, though new wells have been drilled for wildlife and luxury tourist lodges have been built in the disputed territory. Botswana’s government also approved a $3 billion diamond mine at one of the Bushmen communities.”

Iraq’s largest hydropower dam grinds to halt

Published on 01/27/2011 in dams, hydropower and water shortage. 0 Comments Tags: hydropower, iraq, low water level.

“Record low water levels at Iraq’s largest hydroelectric dam have ground turbines there to a halt, amplifying a power shortage that led to riots last summer, a top official said on Thursday.

“Adel Mahdi, advisor to the electricity minister, said water levels at the Mosul dam on the Tigris River had fallen to 298 metres (977 feet) above sea level.

“”It is the first time since 1984 when the dam was built that water levels have fallen this low,” Mahdi told AFP.

“”The installed power generation capacity of Mosul’s hydroelectric plant is 1,175 megawatts, but the current production is zero, because the turbines need a minimum water level of 307 metres (1,007 feet) to operate,” he added.”

Read more: Yahoo News

jenna cavelle

Water in the Desert: Kalahari Bushmen in ‘remarkable’ legal victory

Published on 01/27/2011 in water wars. 0 Comments Tags: basarwa bushmen, botswana, Water rights.

“The Appeal Court judgement is a remarkable victory for the Bushmen.

“Not only has the court upheld their right to water in the Kalahari Desert, but it has criticised the government’s treatment of the bushmen as “degrading”.

“Supporters of the Basarwa Bushmen inside and outside Botswana are greeting the court of appeal’s judgement as a victory for the rule of law.

“Survival International, the London-based organisation which campaigns for the rights of indigenous peoples and has strongly backed the Bushmen’s legal battle, described the appeal court’s decision as “momentous”.”

Where Westlands water flows, California’s agriculture follows

Published on 01/27/2011 in agriculture, policy, water diversions and water shortage. 0 Comments Tags: california agriculture and water, water and california.

Photo retrieved from: Grist.com

“To many people — particularly environmentalists and family-farm aficionados — the Westlands Water District, on the dusty west side of California’s San Joaquin Valley, conjures up an image of a sprawling empire of large-scale agribusiness. Roughly 600 farmers own land within the district, and grow a veritable cornucopia of tomatoes, almonds, pistachios, lettuce, cantaloupes, grapes, and other crops.

“Many farms here are huge, to be sure: One family farms at least 25,000 acres. But there are plenty of smaller farmers like 42-year-old Shawn Coburn, who grows 1,200 acres of mostly almonds. And to him, Westlands is an American Eden.

“There’s a long list of haters,” says Coburn. But “we have the best dirt out there. It’s the best ground in the world.”

“There’s only one problem. While the soil here may be good, there’s not much water. At least not since 2007, when a federal judge drastically cut back farmers’ water supplies to protect endangered fish in the Sacramento and San Joaquin river delta in the geographic heart of the state. A three-year drought began clobbering California that same year, making life even tougher for farmers like Coburn.”

Indonesia water issues are risk, opportunity for Japan

Published on 01/27/2011 in policy and privatization. 0 Comments Tags: Indonesian water supply.

photo retrieved from: Reuters

“This is the second installment of a two-part series about issues affecting Southeast Asia. This piece examines water and sanitation problems in Indonesia, which present risky but lucrative business opportunities for Japan.

“On Jakarta’s outskirts, along a muddy-colored river, rundown houses stand next to each other and people live in close proximity. Children–some even barefoot–play in narrow lanes awash in murky water, surrounded by cats, chickens and other animals.

“In the village of Pekojan, where water and sanitation facilities are seriously lacking, people appear to be accustomed to living under such conditions. But at a school in the middle of this sprawling slum, children looked excited–and rather proud–of having better access to one of humanity’s basic needs: clean water.”

In Photos: Pakistan flood survivors

Published on 01/27/2011 in floods. 0 Comments

“View the photo slideshow of communities throughout Pakistan that were ravaged by the Indus River floods, which began in late July 2010 and affected around 20 million people.

“Around 2,000 people died, and property damage exceeded $43bn.

“Images are courtesy of Islamic Relief, an NGO that has been active in flood relief efforts.”

To view photos visit: Al Jazeera

chrismorrow

Death toll from flooding in Brazil continues to climb

Published on 01/26/2011 in floods. 0 Comments Tags: Brazil floods, Nova Friburgo floods.

photo retrieved from: CNN

“(CNN) — Devastating floods in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state have killed at least 827 people, the state-run Agencia Brasil news agency reported Tuesday.

“The city of Nova Friburgo was the hardest hit, with at least 399 victims, the agency said, citing civil police. Teresopolis was also devastated, with reports of 335 people dead, it said.

“CNN affiliate TV Record showed images of construction equipment in Teresopolis, moving massive mounds of dirt and rock and filling a nearby valley with trash.

“Also Tuesday, NASA released images it took recently of the mountainous region northeast of Rio de Janeiro. It posted those images on its website next to ones taken by the same instrument in 2003 to show the extent of the damage.

“The flooding, caused by days of torrential rains, left about 25,000 people homeless, Agencia Brasil reported, citing health and civil defence officials. Of those, roughly 13,000 might be able to return to their homes once the situation improves, but the rest will need to find new places to live, it said.”

Botswana project poses threat to Victoria Falls

Published on 01/26/2011 in agriculture and rivers. 0 Comments Tags: Chobe River water extraction, zambezi river.

“FRANCISTOWN: Botswana government’s planned irrigation scheme in the Pandamatenga area is likely to fail, The Gazette has learnt.

“Botswana has apparently notified other Southern African countries of its intentions to extract some 30 cubic metres from the Chobe River where it meets the Zambezi River for a planned irrigation scheme in the Pandamatenga area for domestic water supply, according to the Standard newspaper in Zimbabwe.

“The Zimbabwean Minister of Water Resources Development and Management, Samuel Sipepa-Nkomo is quoted as saying the attractiveness of the mighty Victoria Falls, one of the natural wonders of the world, is under threat if Botswana goes ahead with its planned extraction of large volumes of water from Chobe River for the Pandamatenga area.”