Compare and contrast: Researcher studies worst western US megadrought in 1,200 years
Phys.org
Drylands in the western United States are currently in the grips of a 23-year “megadrought,” and one West Virginia University researcher is working to gain a better understanding of this extreme climate event. Click here to continue reading
Compare and contrast: New study shows how quickly surface water moves to groundwater reservoirs across Australia
Phys.org
A new study from Charles Darwin University (CDU), Monash University and The University of Newcastle has presented almost 100,000 estimates of groundwater recharge rates across Australia, by far the largest known database of its kind. Click here to continue reading
Compare and contrast: US lawmakers Elizabeth Warren and Ro Khanna seek to ban trade in water rights
The Guardian
Water-futures trading allows investors – including hedge funds, farmers and municipalities – to trade water and water rights as a commodity, similar to oil or gold. The practice is currently limited to California, where the world’s first water futures market was launched. So far, the market hasn’t taken off, dampened by the reality that the physical trade of water in the state has been limited. After a couple of wet years in California, the price of water futures has also plummeted. Click here to continue reading
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
CTV News
“Definitely U.S. EPA has taken a leap forward in this direction,” she said in a video interview with CTVNews.ca, noting no international standards exist. “So I would say that if we have set up higher limits here for the Canadian citizens, definitely we are exposing them more, or making them more vulnerable to these chemicals.”. Click here to continue reading
Compare and contrast: What are the main challenges to water quality in Asia?
Envirotech
The quality of water varies significantly across Asia, complicating efforts to analyse and address pollution. While India and China have made strides in establishing comprehensive monitoring systems, other countries lag behind due to insufficient data. This disparity hampers the ability of nations to implement effective remedial measures, especially in transboundary water bodies. Click here to continue reading
Agriculture has historically ravaged wetlands. These farmers are trying to change that
The Narwhal
“A lot of the wetlands are dried up, and we’ve got cracks in the ground,” Guilford says. “That’s never a good sign.” Despite the day’s downpour, it’s been a dry couple of years for the Guilfords. Their 1,200-acre ranch, nestled in the rolling hills and winding streams of Manitoba’s Pembina Valley, has faced an extreme drought, per the Canadian drought monitor, since March. The abnormally dry conditions, though, have been around since late 2022. Click here to continue reading
Compare and contrast: California cracks down on water pumping: ‘The ground is collapsing’
The Guardian
California cracks down on water pumping: ‘The ground is collapsing’
Farm region near Tulare Lake has been put on ‘probation’ as overpumping of water has caused faster sinking of ground.
Even after two back-to-back wet years, California’s water wars are far from over. On Tuesday, state water officials took an unprecedented step to intervene in the destructive pumping of depleted groundwater in the state’s sprawling agricultural heartland. Click here to continue reading
Compare and contrast: Reeling under water crisis, women of village near Bisalpur dam to boycott polls
The Times of India
The Bisalpur dam on the Banas River in Tonk district, over 140km from Jaipur, serves as the lifeline for the residents of the state capital by providing drinking water. Barely 20km from the dam lies a small village named Jaikmabad, falling under the Chanbassuriya gram panchayat of Todaraisingh panchayat samiti. Despite being so close to the dam, the village is reeling under an acute water crisis. Click here to continue reading
Compare and contrast: Live eco-feedback in showers could help the tourism industry cut water use, according to study
EurekAlert!
Analysis showed that shower water runtime was 77 seconds quicker (25.79 per cent) in the group that received continuous, real-time eco-feedback than in the group that received no feedback. Click here to continue reading
Compare and contrast: Water levels in Russia’s Kurgan cross ‘dangerous’ levels
Channel News Asia
The water level in the Tobol River around the city of Kurgan in Russia’s southern Urals has exceeded the “dangerous level” mark, RIA state news agency reported on Wednesday (Apr 17), citing local authorities. The river in the city, which is the administrative centre of the broader Kurgan region straddling the Tobol River near the border with Kazakhstan, rose by 12cm in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning, reaching 865cm, RIA reported. Click here to continue reading