Water scarcity and conflict

Updated: Fri, 9 Nov 2018

In Kyrgyzstan, warming brings less water - and more conflict

"Unless there is greater regional cooperation over water then these issues might create the next big war," warns one expert

India rushes to save vanishing groundwater
About 600 million people - nearly half India's population - face acute water shortage, with close to 200,000 dying each year from polluted water By Rina Chandran | Thu, 24 Jan 2019
As sales boom, Chile's 'green gold' is blamed for water shortages
Chile's Petorca province is a major exporter of avocados - but conflict over water is growing as climate change brings worsening drought By Nicky Milne | Mon, 3 Jun 2019
Arab states face water emergency, urgent action needed - UN
The Middle East and North Africa has suffered more than any other region from water scarcity and desertification, problems being complicated by climate change By Reuters | Thu, 4 Apr 2019
insight Running Dry: Competing for water on a thirsty planet
Growing populations, more farming and economic growth, climate change and a rush of people to cities all are increasing pressure on the world's limited water supplies By Laurie Goering | Mon, 3 Jun 2019
In Los Angeles 'water colony', tribes fear a parched future
As climate change brings more drought, California may need to rethink how it uses and shares water By Laurie Goering | Tue, 4 Jun 2019
City accused of seizing water as drought parches 'India's Detroit'
Bad water management and a lack of rainfall mean that all four reservoirs that supply Chennai, a carmaking centre dubbed "India's Detroit", have run virtually dry this summer By Reuters | Wed, 3 Jul 2019
More people, less water? Scientists see risks on upper Nile
Population growth and climate shifts are likely to combine to bring worsening water scarcity, scientists say By Laurie Goering | Wed, 28 Aug 2019
Hotels, firms cut back on water use as taps run dry in Chennai
Chennai is one of 21 cities that a government think tank warned last year could run out of ground water by 2020 By Reuters | Wed, 19 Jun 2019
Local water scarcity spilling over into global crisis -researchers
From Jordan to Uzbekistan, water shortages are proving hard to solve, researchers say By Laurie Goering | Mon, 18 Nov 2019
With reservoirs at risk, Sierra Leone confronts water crisis
Abundant downpours during the rainy season bring deadly floods every year but officials are increasingly worried about another trend: diminishing water reserves By Nellie Peyton | Mon, 19 Aug 2019
More deals, less conflict? Cross-border water planning key: report
As global water supplies run low, agreements on how to share water across borders are crucial - but few are in place yet, researchers say By Laurie Goering | Thu, 22 Aug 2019
in-depth Water politics heat up under worsening climate in Afghanistan
Measures to help Afghanistan's farmers access more water for irrigation could heighten tensions with the nation's neighbours. By Stefanie Glinski | Tue, 9 Jun 2020
Struggle for water intensifies as taps run dry in India
India faces the worst long-term water crisis in its history as demand outstrips supply, with millions of lives and livelihoods at risk By Roli Srivastava | Fri, 21 Jun 2019
England faces 'jaws of death' as taps set to run dry in 25 years
About 3 billion litres of water in England is wasted every day through leakages - the equivalent to that used by more than 20 million people By Lin Taylor | Tue, 19 Mar 2019
Water-stressed Pakistan looks for billions in donations for dams
But the effort to improve water and energy security with big dams faces significant opposition within the country By Roshan Din Shad | Sun, 24 Feb 2019
'We want water' say residents as Abidjan grows drier
Faltering rains linked to climate change and rapid population growth mean there's less water to go around By Peter Yeung | Mon, 10 Jun 2019
In a thirsty world, information gaps dog a push to tap groundwater
Using more underground water could ease water shortages - but coordination of an "invisible" resource remains a challenge By Laurie Goering | Mon, 19 Oct 2020
As water disappears, parched southern Pakistan farmers march north
"The government must come up with a sound plan now or we will have a huge population of climate refugees to deal with," says one legislator By Zofeen T. Ebrahim | Mon, 8 Jul 2019
'Water from air' quenches threatened girls' thirst in Kenya
Solar-powered panels that condense water vapour in the air could be a sustainable source of drinking water in dry areas By Benson Rioba | Wed, 14 Nov 2018
Preserve, revive, restore: Indian ponds spring back to life
Tackling India's worsening water shortages will likely require not just government efforts but community-led projects, which can also provide work By Anuradha Nagaraj | Mon, 8 Mar 2021
As groundwater runs short, water battles grow in parched Chennai
India is suffering "the worst water crisis in its history" - and in Chennai water deliveries are in the balance By Anuradha Nagaraj | Thu, 8 Nov 2018
As Cape Town races to save water, 'Day Zero' draws closer
In the worst-case scenario, extreme droughts could be about 100 times more likely than they were early last century By Kim Harrisberg | Mon, 9 Nov 2020
Climate change 'imminent' security threat: risk experts
From Iraq and Pakistan to the Caribbean, climate change is driving threats of new insecurity and violence, security analysts say By Laurie Goering | Tue, 19 Feb 2019
'Chaos map' charts deaths from water, food and fuel disruption
Researchers warned that without better preparedness, more frequent climate shocks could lead to large-scale violence and the collapse of global markets By Anna Scholz-Carlson | Thu, 24 Oct 2019

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