Circle of Blue WaterNews

What's Up With Water - 2.26.18 What’s up with Water, a condensation of the world’s water news, from Circle of Blue.

In July, the World Health Organization and UNICEF published the first assessment of drinking water and sanitation service under the sustainable development goals. Circle of Blue reporter Brett Walton spoke with Catarina Fonseca, head of the international and innovation program at IRC, a water and sanitation organization, about the report's strengthens and weaknesses as well as the successes and failures that it documents. Fonseca notes that though more people have gained access to water in recent years, those gains are unevenly distributed. "There has been progress, but the progress is not fast enough, especially on sanitation, to achieve the sustainable development goals," she says. his is HotSpots Podcast Episode 12.

Water, or lack thereof, is often at the front lines of conflict. By documenting water conflict across history, Dr. Peter Gleick, chief scientist and president emeritus of the Pacific Institute, explores the instances where water and violence have gone hand and hand. His water conflict chronology is a fascinating river throughout history and was just updated. In our latest podcast, Gleick tells us about some of the lessons learned and highlights from this water conflict chronology, and explores what kind of trends have emerged, and what we can expect in the future. This is HotSpots Podcast Episode 11.

Large-scale exploitation of groundwater began in the 1950s and continues today. The water that flows underground and between soil particles gave rise to the Green Revolution in India and allows desert agriculture to flourish. It nourishes streams and springs and is the primary drinking water source for nearly half of the world's people. Yet, due to urbanization, climate change, energy extraction, food production, and other demands, groundwater is under extreme pressure. William Alley, director of science and technology at the National Groundwater Association, and Rosemarie Alley, a science writer, are the authors of High and Dry, a book that explores the world's growing dependence on groundwater. Circle of Blue reporter Brett Walton spoke with the Alleys about the role of science in groundwater management and the knowledge that is necessary for sustaining what they call "the neglected child of the water world." This is HotSpots Podcast Episode 10.

How did water become considered a resource? What values guide its management? Circle of Blue reporter Brett Walton spoke with Dr. Jeremy Schmidt, lecturer in geography at the University of Durham, about his new book, Water: Abundance, Scarcity, and Security in the Age of Humanity. Schmidt argues that the dominant global water narrative -- of abundance leading to scarcity and now concerns about security -- developed from early 20th century American ideas. This is HotSpots Podcast Episode 09.

More than a half dozen proposals to develop hardrock mines in northwestern British Columbia are producing worry downstream in Alaska. The mines would be located on some of the state's most productive and scenic salmon rivers, and the economic and environmental costs of a large spill of mine waste could be severe. The collapse of a tailings dam at the Mount Polley mine, which happened nearly three years ago in southern British Columbia, is still fresh in the memory. Last fall, Alaska and British Columbia officials signed an agreement that will guide watershed monitoring and public consultation for new mines. Circle of Blue reporter Brett Walton spoke with Alaska Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott about the state's concerns. The conversation touches on the difficulty of international negotiation, how the Trump administration could affect the agreement's implementation, and Alaska's definition of a successful outcome. This is HotSpots Podcast Episode 08.

When members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe set up camp on the banks of the Cannonball River in April to protest the Dakota Access pipeline, they had little idea how widely their movement would spiral. The peaceful demonstration, which drew supporters from all corners of the continent to the North Dakota plains, summoned a response that not even the White House could ignore. Judith LeBlanc, director of the Native Organizers Alliance, which trains social activists in Indian country, spoke with Circle of Blue reporter Brett Walton in early December, days after returning from Standing Rock. The conversation touches on the significance of the Dakota Access protest, the relationship between the federal government and tribal governments for big infrastructure projects, and the role of grassroots movements for political change. This is HotSpots Podcast Episode 07.

In 2016, Circle of Blue’s US coverage closely followed the developments out of Flint Michigan, as the city continued to struggle with lead contamination in its drinking water. Our team also covered the ongoing controversy over the Dakota Access Pipeline. Around the world, we reported stories on water conflict, infrastructure spending, stranded assets, and severe droughts brought on by El Nino in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. In this special year end round table, Circle of Blue reporters discuss the big stories of 2016. Keith Schneider, Senior Editor and Chief Correspondent at Circle of Blue, Brett Walton, editor of the Federal Water Tap, our weekly digest of U.S. government water news and Codi Kozacek, editor of The Stream, which is Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends, come together to discuss what they learned in 2016 and what the expect to see in 2017. This is HotSpots Podcast Episode 06.

From Peru to Australia water stresses are rewriting the way mines are built, regulated, and operated. While the environmental risks to water from mining are well documented, new concerns arise as populations grow and water scarcity increases. Are companies pricing these new risks into their operations? Are communities around mines informed not only about environmental concerns, but also about water access challenges from new or existing projects? Upmanu Lall, the Director of the Columbia Water Center in New York City, joins Circle of Blue’s senior editor and chief correspondent Keith Schneider to discuss how the global mining industry is changing, and what those changes mean for local communities, government regulators, and operators. This is HotSpots Podcast Episode 05.

Donald Trump enters the White House at a time of severe ecological and political turbulence. His few campaign statements about the environment were direct and consequential: withdraw from the Paris climate change agreement, close the Environmental Protection Agency, and increase infrastructure spending. What does a Trump administration mean for water? How will he address environmental policy, given the campaign’s other promises for clear air and clean water. Circle of Blue’s J. Carl Ganter is joined by Keith Schneider, senior editor and chief correspondent; Brett Walton, reporter and author of the Federal Water Tap, a weekly roundup of government water news; and Codi Kozacek, author of The Stream, our daily digest of international water news. Schneider, Walton, and Kozacek report on water issues domestically and internationally. This roundtable discussion is the first of a monthly series and part of Circle of Blue’s HotSpots H2O podcast series. This is HotSpots Podcast Episode 04.