ViewsWeek Views from around the world
Water wars, many warn, could be around the corner. After the removal of former President Mohamed Morsi, Egypt has inherited a huge problem: Addis Ababa decided to divert the course of the Blue Nile late May, as part of its project to generate electricity through the construction of the Renaissance Dam. Ethiopia took the decision — which will have a …
March, 2014
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13 March
Large Dams Don’t Make Economic Sense: Study
The wave of new mega dams under construction globally is economically unviable, according to Oxford University researchers who have found such projects typically cost nearly twice as much as first estimated and rarely finish on time. The findings are based on a study of 245 dams built in 65 countries since 1934, making it the most comprehensive analysis since a slew …
February, 2014
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20 February
The Battle for Water
There is a popular, tongue-in-cheek saying in America — attributed to the writer Mark Twain, who lived through the early phase of the California Water Wars — that “whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting over.” It highlights the consequences, even if somewhat apocryphally, as ever-scarcer water resources create a parched world. California currently is reeling under its …
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4 February
Verdict Worsens Pakistan’s Energy Woes
Energy supply is a pressing concern in Pakistan as frequent crippling power outages are not only stunting its economic activities, but have caused a constant public outcry in recent years. The issue was one of the core agendas in the general elections held last year in the violence-hit country. The December 2013 verdict of the International Court of Arbitration (ICA) …
January, 2014
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9 January
Central Asia Grapples with Water Shortages
Central Asian water conservation specialists are discussing supply problems and ways to overcome them. The region has strong incentives to save the precious resource, they say, noting that it has ample water resources but uneven distribution. Discussions frequently lead to quarrels rather than to solutions. Border disputes, the threat of extremism, and water disputes are among the region’s primary …
September, 2013
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17 September
When The Water Runs Dry, The Ideas Flow
STOCKHOLM: Droughts are rarely seen as a positive development. Historically equated with divine punishment, they can be fatal to local economies and human lives alike. But they can also provide a crucial test for water management systems, which – when they function effectively – may allow regions to shake off severe droughts that would have otherwise led to widespread loss …
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8 September
Difference Between Water Scarcity and Drought
Water scarcity and drought are two interrelated but distinct concepts. Despite widespread recognition of the important differences between the two concepts, there is no scientific agreement about the precise definitions of the terms water scarcity and drought.
