Mekong River water levels between Jinghong hydropower station in China’s Yunnan province and the Mekong Delta in Vietnam fell in recent weeks to worrying levels, says the Mekong River Commission (MRC).
The MRC has observed a 25 percent drop in average rainfall since last November, while outflow from Jinghong has been fluctuating wildly, falling to half its normal levels on several days in January.
<p>The government of India has signed a $236 Million USD deal to build the Shahtoot Dam in Kabul which will provide fresh drinking water for roughly 2 million residents and support irrigation efforts across Afghanistan.<!--break--></p><p>The Pakistan government continues to express concern about Shahtoot River interventions that will reduce water flow into their country by 16 to 17 percent.
<p>Areas with water shortages experiencing mass mixed species congregations are particularly vulnerable to pathogen transmission between species, according to new research</p><p><a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210216093022.htm">A study</a> published this month in "Science of the Total Environment" identifies water resources as a main vector for mammalian virus transmissions.<!--break--> </p><p>A team of scientists
<p>The governments of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have reported that within the last 2 months roughly 100 tonnes of fish, mostly of the freshwater species Nile Perch, have died due to unknown causes in Lake Victoria which borders all three countries.<!--break--></p><p>The mass deaths of Nile Perch, which are valued at between 10 Million and 15 Million Uganda Shillings (UGX) ($2732 - $4,096 USD) per tonne depending on their weight, has cost the government an estimated $409,840 USD in revenue so far – however, it could potentially become much more.</p><p>Joy
"Nature is our home. Good economics demands we manage it better,” said Cambridge University economist Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta on 2 February as he presented his highly anticipated review, "The Economics of Biodiversity".
<p>French water, waste management and energy giant Veolia filed a tender offer on 7 February for the shares in rival Suez that it doesn’t already own.
<p><strong>This Water Diplomat article has been updated 20 February.</strong></p><p>US President Joe Biden declared a major disaster 20 February in the US State of Texas, allowing more federal funds to be releasd for emergency assistance (<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/02/20… House Statement here</a>).</p><p>Power is returning ac
<p>A reminder for subscribers:</p><p>The next issue of the "Water Diplomat International Water Weekly" (subscription-based) will publish on Wenesday 24 February, as the US Presidents' Day holiday falls this week. The Water Diplomat website will contine to be updated with current water news and intelligence through this week and next. "The Water Diplomat" (Free, Monthly) will publish at the end of the month with no interruption.</p><p>Happy Presidents' Day!</p><p>The Water Diplomat Team<!--break--></p>
Singapore has opened its fourth desalination plant in an effort to enhance water security measures across the country as daily water consumption rates reach 430 million gallons per day, with an expected two-fold increase in the next thirty years.
The Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant (KMEDP) is Singapore’s first ever large-scale dual-mode plant which has the ability to treat both seawater from the coast and fresh water from the Marina Reservoir.
<p>Researchers say they have confirmed linkages showing global warming is directly responsible for creating a “critical threat” of devastating flooding in the Peruvian Andes.</p><p>The findings represent <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-02-04-severe-flood-threat-caused-climate… critical piece of missing evidence</a> for lawyers suing German power giant RWE on behalf of Saúl Luciano Lliuya, a farmer from Huaraz.