water quantity
Credit: Water Alternatives Photos/Benjamin Noury/Flickr
India’s mega plan to connect its rivers raises big questions
India's ambitious project to link its rivers may provide solutions to water shortages but could also cause significant environmental and social disruptions.
In short:
- India plans to launch a $168 billion project to connect its rivers, aiming to address water shortages and improve irrigation.
- Experts warn that the project could displace half a million people, submerge vast tracts of land, and disrupt natural monsoon patterns.
- Critics argue that the government has not adequately considered alternative, less disruptive water management strategies.
Key quote:
[The] “initial assumption, is that river basins are independent systems and output from one … can be used to feed the other. [But] changes in one can lead to changes in another.”
— Tejasvi Chauhan, water engineer and biosphere modeler, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry.
Why this matters:
This project could reshape India’s water management but might exacerbate environmental issues and displace communities, highlighting the need for sustainable solutions in tackling water crises. Read more: The planet is losing free-flowing rivers. This is a problem.
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Credit: Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr
Water crisis looms in Oklahoma panhandle as pork processing booms
A pork processing plant has revitalized Guymon’s economy but has accelerated the depletion of the region’s vital groundwater supply.
In short:
- Seaboard Foods' pork processing plant has markedly increased groundwater depletion in the Oklahoma panhandle, exacerbating an already declining water supply.
- Weak state water laws and lack of enforcement have allowed unchecked water use, creating a looming crisis for local agriculture and residents.
- Guymon officials are concerned about the sustainability of water resources, with new wells needed to support continued economic activity.
Key quote:
“Seaboard takes a lot of water, but if we didn’t have the feedstuff to feed the million-plus pigs, Seaboard would not be there and Guymon would dry up and blow away, as with the rest of the panhandle.”
— Oklahoma senator, Casey Murdock
Why this matters:
The depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer threatens both the economic stability and future viability of agriculture in the region, impacting food production and local livelihoods. Read more: As hog farms grow in size and number, so do Iowa water problems.
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| BigStock Photo ID: 466243181 |
| Copyright: trongnguyen |
The water wars deciding the future of the West
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From grasshopper infestations to water restrictions, B.C.’s drought is affecting all corners of the province in ways surprising and predictable. Is the government doing enough to lead?
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