Monthly Archive for March, 2010

Resilient Bangladesh: Mapping local solutions

Published on 03/31/2010 in climate change, policy and solutions and outreach. 0 Comments Tags: bangladesh, climate change adaptation, Fullbaria village, Union on the Conservation of Nature, United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace.

“The changing climate is making it difficult for peasants in Bangladesh to harvest enough food from their land. Based on traditional knowledge, Bangladeshis used to be able to accurately predict when the rains would fall. They could then sow seeds in accordance to these patterns in order to yield the crops upon which they relied for survival. But rains are no longer following such a predictable schedule and the people must do their best to adjust to this new climate reality.

“United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace Researcher Chun Knee Tan has been working with the International Union on the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to address the growing challenges the region faces and empower local people to deal with the changes in their environment.

“In partnership the two organizations have created a project designed to involve the people affected into the machinations of Multilateral Environmental Agreements, such as the Convention of Biological Diversity and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This Community-based Implementation and Compliance of Multilateral Environment Agreements project aims to better communicate to communities on the issues surrounding such agreements and get their input and help in implementing relevant national strategies and action plans.”

The making of World Water Wars

Published on 03/31/2010 in climate change, contaminated water, dams, drought, floods, groundwater, policy, water wars and world water supply. 0 Comments Tags: blue gold, maude barlow, sam bozzo, water documentary, water literacy, water pollution, water wars, world water supply.

I was horrified to discover that what was happening on our planet now was worse than what we were dreaming up for science fiction

“The night before I was to set out shooting, the sponsor backed out. I was about to wake my wife and tell her that I must quit and return the goods. However, en route to our bedroom, I encountered our three-year old son Ethan in the hall, awakened from his sleep.

“He said, “I’m thirsty.”

“I fetched him a glass of water. I went to bed. I did not tell my wife about the financial situation. I awoke and set out traveling alone; a one-man crew on an adventure that changed me forever.”

Interactive Map: California: Compliance With Water Quality Laws

Published on 03/31/2010 in contaminated water and policy. 0 Comments Tags: california water, contaminated water, interactive water map, water pollution, water pollution violations.

“CCKA recognized World Water Day through the release of its new, statewide, online interactive map tracking industry’s compliance with water quality laws. This tool maps all dischargers throughout the state issued mandatory minimum penalties (MMPs) since 2000. The state levies MMPs for “serious” and “multiple chronic” water quality law violations.

“The map, sorted by Regional Water Board, allows users to click on specific facilities to learn more about their violation records. The map also highlights facilities that have not received MMPs in recent years. Violations related to sewage releases, industrial wastes, and contaminated groundwater most frequently caused the issuance of MMPs statewide.

“The MMP Map complements CCKA’s enforcement efforts to improve the level, prioritization, and transparency of California’s water law enforcement activities. Additional public enforcement reports are available on the State Water Board’s website.”

As We See It: Save the salmon: Good news on fishing season, but battle over water diversion remains.

Published on 03/31/2010 in groundwater and policy. 0 Comments Tags: california agriculture, california water, california water policy, california water supply, chinook salmon, endangered salmon.

“There was a time when salmon was king.

“Now, finally, for the first time in three years, sport fishermen will again be able to fish for salmon in Monterey Bay.

“But the glory days of salmon fishing in local waters — really, most of the fishing industry — are decades past. The issue of who is to blame for the decline in chinook salmon, and its resulting effect on the fishing industry, is complicated.

“Overfishing and climate change have been blamed. But probably the main culprit is changes in the freshwaters flowing to the ocean. Salmon spawn in rivers and streams, before maturing in the ocean — and fishing advocates blame corporate farms in the San Joaquin Valley, which receive federally subsidized water diverted from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, for ruining the salmon spawn.”

Murder in the bush: Wildlife film-maker Joan Root threw herself into protecting the African lake she called home…but her passion cost her her life

Published on 03/31/2010 in contaminated water. 1 Comment Tags: Joan Root, murder for water, Naivasha, poaching in Africa.

Joan Root

“For Joan, everything that mattered most to her was centred on the lake but, even there, life was changing – Naivasha’s fertile soil and warm climate were ripe for exploitation. Joan’s neighbours realised that roses would thrive in the area, and demand for the blooms was high.

“New technology, chemical fertilisers, pesticides and good air transportation meant they could be sold anywhere in the world, but this booming new industry brought economic and ecological problems in its wake.

“Joan decided to take action. She went on daily poacher patrols and wrote of her increasing frustration, intensified by the ineptitude of the police and government agencies in coming up with any solution. Every poacher on the lake soon knew that she was the key player in stopping them from feeding their families.”

“The night of 12 January, 2006 was clear and moonlit. At 1.30am, two men, one carrying an AK-47 semi-automatic rifle, crept into the compound. Awakened by the men demanding in Swahili that she open the door, Joan used her mobile phone to call her security consultant, John Sutton, who was on an assignment in Tanzania. ‘John, they’re back,’ she said in a whisper. ‘Turn off your light,’ Sutton said. ‘Get on the floor and into the bathroom.’ Previously, at Mr Sutton’s suggestion, steel doors had been put up in the bathroom for this very purpose.

“Sutton called the police. Then his phone rang again. Joan’s voice was frantic and trembling. He heard gunshots. ‘John, help, John, help’. Screaming in Swahili that they would fill her with so many holes she’d ‘look like a sieve’, the two men pumped bullets through the glass and the bars of her bedroom window. Then the phone went dead. Joan, who had been shot several times, died from massive bleeding. Too much in love with the lake to leave it and too stubborn to surrender, she had made a last stand on her land. What she left behind would tell the story of what she had tried to accomplish.”

Santa Cruz water chief defends plans for desal plant

Published on 03/31/2010 in desalination and solutions and outreach. 0 Comments Tags: alternatives to desal, community outreach, desal, desalination, santa cruz water, water conservation.

“The head of the Santa Cruz Water Department, Bill Kocher, staunchly defended plans to build a desalination plant, telling a crowd of nearly 200 residents Thursday that there is no other option for surviving a severe drought like the one Santa Cruz experienced in the mid-1970s.

“Cook, who served on the state Desalination Task Force, said general water use is too high and the focus should be on changing behaviors rather than “applying a technical fix.”

“Relying on desalination to augment water supplies, she said, is “energy down the drain.”

U.N. report: Let’s turn foul water from mass killer into global treasure

Published on 03/30/2010 in contaminated water, graywater, groundwater and world water supply. 0 Comments Tags: contaminated water, EPA, sick water, water pollution, watsewater reclamation, world water supply.

The Ganges is one of India's sacred rivers, but concern over pollution along the river's entire course is growing.

“Contaminated and polluted water now kills more people than all forms of violence including wars, according to a United Nations report released Monday that calls for turning unsanitary wastewater into an environmentally safe economic resource.

“As a result, “it is essential that wastewater management is considered as part of integrated, ecosystem-based management that operates across sectors and borders, freshwater and marine.”

Desal study wins WasteWatch prize

Published on 03/30/2010 in desalination and uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: Australia, cost os desalination, desal, desalination, money down the drain, stormwater harvesting, Sydney, water economics.

“Retired water treatment engineer Ken Quick won $1000 for his entry which claimed Sydney’s $1.9 billion desalination plant is money down the drain.

“If you would have spent almost $2 billion on stormwater harvesting and recycling water you would have got a lot more for your money.”

Argentines fight to save river

Published on 03/29/2010 in contaminated water and rivers. 0 Comments Tags: argentina, Buenos Aires, contaminated water, Riachuelo river, water pollution, water related illness, world bank.

“The Riachuelo river, which originates in the Buenos Aires province in Argentina, is one of the most polluted rivers in the world, according to environmental activists.

“For decades, tons of industrial and household waste have been dumped into the river, which has become a lifeless sludge.”

Analysis: World Water Day Promises Much, but We’ve Been Here Before

Published on 03/29/2010 in graywater, solutions and outreach, water filtering and world water supply. 0 Comments Tags: africa, graywater treatment, UNEP, United States, water quality and quantity, water scarcity, world water day, world water supply.

“The economics of improving water quality was a major theme during the program at World Water Day last week, so an economic maxim is appropriate to summarize the day: talk is cheap. Rather, more specifically, scripted talk is cheap.

“The key remark, as is often the case, was brief and direct, without the padding used in government-speak to hide meaning. Panel moderator Achim Steiner, the executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, was posing a question about wastewater management.

“This is a simple problem,” Steiner said. “You either filter water before it is consumed, or treat it before discharging it.”

Welcome to Coming Together for Clean Water

Published on 03/26/2010 in groundwater, policy and solutions and outreach. 0 Comments Tags: agricultural runoff, EPA, managing pollutants from nutrients, stormwater pollution, water literacy, watershed approach, watershed management.

“Nearly 40 years ago, Congress passed a truly remarkable piece of legislation—the Clean Water Act. This document outlined sweeping commitments to restore and maintain the integrity of our nation’s waters, rid them of pollution, and make them safe for humans and wildlife alike.

“For even longer, the Environmental Protection Agency has worked to fulfill these ambitious and important goals. Our efforts have made our water resources cleaner and safer in many ways, but new challenges arise everyday. This April, Administrator Lisa Jackson and I are inviting 100 leaders in water issues to help us sharpen our thinking during a one-day event, Coming Together for Clean Water, on how we can meet these challenges.

“Specifically, we’ll discuss what we can do about the most significant pollution problems facing our waters. These evolving issues pose complex challenges to restoring healthy watersheds and creating sustainable communities across the country.”

Santa Cruz City Council supports next step in desal plant

Published on 03/24/2010 in desalination and water technology. 0 Comments Tags: desal, desalination, drinking water, drought, Santa Cruz.

“In a nod to naysayers, Mayor Mike Rotkin sought to remind the public that removing salt from seawater for use in the city’s water system is designed to address rainwater shortages and saltwater intrusion, not support future growth at UC Santa Cruz or elsewhere. “It’s really about drought protection,” he said.

“Rotkin threatened to have arrested an unidentified man who repeatedly shouted at council members. The man told council members they should support solar desalination because of the electricity required to run the proposed plant.

“Opponents also argue greater conservation could better address water shortages and desalination could harm marine life. But supporters say conservation measures aren’t enough to backfill shortages in severe drought years.”

Water harvested from clouds in rural South Africa

Published on 03/24/2010 in solutions and outreach and water technology. 1 Comment Tags: fog water harvesting, solutions and outreach, south africa, water technology.

south-africa-fog-nets-photo-1

“The life-giving liquid is the purest you could hope to taste–and it’s also free and environmentally friendly,” said Doreen Gough, media affairs manager for the University of South Africa (UNISA).

“UNISA is launching another of its fog-harvesting systems in South Africa today, this one in the country’s Eastern Cape Province.

“The university “has been engaged with a largescale research and development project on fog harvesting as an alternative source of potable water for many isolated rural communities struggling to access pure and clean water. Many of the communities where the research projects have been conducted experience scarce water supply and the villagers travel long distances to fetch it,” Gough said in an e-mail to Nat Geo News Watch.”

Giant Ethiopian dam to make 200,000 go hungry – NGO

Published on 03/24/2010 in dams. 0 Comments Tags: displaced people, ethiopia, Gibe III dam, Water rights, world bank and dams.

“More than 200,000 Ethiopians who rely on fishing and farming could become reliant on aid to survive if the government goes ahead with building Africa’s biggest hydropower dam, an advocacy group said.

“These tribes are self-sufficient but this dam will ruin their economies,” a Survival International representative, who did not wish to be named, said.

“It will end the annual flooding some rely on to make the land they farm fertile, and for tribes who rely on fishing, it will deplete stocks. They will need aid.”

World Water Day – The Big Picture

Published on 03/23/2010 in contaminated water, drought, rivers and world water supply. 0 Comments Tags: national geographic, rivers, water images, world water day, world water supply.

“Today, March 22nd, is recognized by the United Nations Water Group as “World Water Day”, this year’s theme being “Clean Water for a Healthy World”. Although we live on a water-covered planet, only 1% of the world’s water is available for human use, the rest locked away in oceans, ice, and the atmosphere. The National Geographic Society feels so strongly about the issues around fresh water that they are distributing an interactive version of their April, 2010 magazine for download – free until April 2nd – and will be exhibiting images from the series at theAnnenberg Space for photography. National Geographic was also kind enough to share 15 of their images below, in a collection with other photos from news agencies and NASA – all of water, here at home – Earth. (43 photos total)”

Unsafe water kills more people than war, Ban says on World Day

Published on 03/23/2010 in contaminated water, graywater and solutions and outreach. 1 Comment Tags: UN, water pollution, water related deaths, water scarcity, world water day, world water supply.

“Every day around the world, 2 million tons of sewage and industrial and agricultural waste are poured in the earth’s waters, while one child under the age of five dies every 20 seconds from water-related diseases, according to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

“Human activity over the past 50 years is responsible for unprecedented pollution, and the quality of the world’s water resources is increasingly challenged,” said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.

“It may seem like an overwhelming challenge but there are enough solutions where human ingenuity allied to technology and investments in nature’s purification systems – such as wetlands, forests and mangroves – can deliver clean water for a healthy world.”

Bluewashing: Why the Bottled Water Industry’s EcoFriendly Claims Don’t Hold Water

Published on 03/22/2010 in greenwashing and tap water. 0 Comments Tags: bluewashing, bottled water, CEO water mandate, greenwashing, PET bottles, tap water.

“Corporations have a financial incentive to hide their environmental impacts from an American public that wants to buy environmentally friendly products. As consumers have been looking for ways to “go green,” corporations have been accused of “greenwashing” — selling products as environmentally responsible when they actually damage the environment. Today, with heightened media attention on the world water crisis, blue is the new green — and corporations appear to be using similar “bluewashing” tactics to obscure their effect on the world’s water.”

Reflecting on World Water Day

Published on 03/22/2010 in policy, solutions and outreach and world water supply. 0 Comments Tags: solutions and outreach, water policy, world water day, world water supply.

“World Water Day provides an opportunity to celebrate how far we’ve come and reflect upon how much we have still to do. Today is a reminder of how we should treat this valuable, precious resource. As we reach for the handle to adjust the temperature for our morning shower, or flush the toilet, or water the lawn, or turn on the tap to get a glass of clean water, we should all consider the millions of people everywhere who are walking miles to get to untreated water to sustain life in communities and villages off the proverbial grid. Our shared challenge on World Water Day, and every day, is to identify and implement solutions to the many challenges associated with water quality, access and availability.”

Rising waters threaten Nile Delta

Published on 03/21/2010 in climate change, dams, rivers and world water supply. 1 Comment Tags: aswan dam, egypt, nile river, rising sea level, saltwater infiltration.

“As the sea on Egypt’s coastline rises, (Hamza says by 20cm during the last century, a statistic that leading Egyptian government scientists concur with) salt-water infiltrates the Delta’s soil from below, and destroys the farming land.

“The consequences of this are very serious for Egypt, which relies on the Delta for food production.

“In truth, there are any number of factors now damaging the ecology of the Delta. Ever since the completion of the Aswan High Dam, 40 years ago, soil fertility levels in the Delta have been falling, as large quantities of sediment are no longer washed downstream.”

Renewed Support for an Everglades Land Deal, but Cost Is Still in Question

Published on 03/20/2010 in policy and rivers. 0 Comments Tags: ecological restoration, florida everglades, water management, water policy.

“The water district has a complicated mission. Formed in 1949, it represents the interests of 16 counties that support it with property taxes. In return, it accepts responsibility for “balancing and improving water quality, flood control, natural systems and water supply.”

“Everglades restoration became an important component in 2000, when the district became the lead agency for the largest environmental restoration effort ever attempted. But with fickle weather and a complicated system of canals, pumps, lakes and artificial marshes, the district struggles with protecting its residents and nature.”