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18 Jan 2024
Danone faces legal complaint over claim that Evian water is carbon neutral
On January 10th, a Southern New York District Court Judge ruled that Danone, a French multinational company which produces bottled water (amongst others), must face a lawsuit related to its claims that its Evian brand of bottled water sold in the United States is “carbon neutral”. In October 2022, a class action lawsuit had been filed by plaintiff Stephanie Dorris on behalf of consumers of Evian water...
12 Jan 2024
New study shows concentrations of microplastics in drinking water are much higher than expected
A study published on the 8th of January in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has shown that the concentration of micro- and nano- plastic particles in drinking water is serval orders of magnitude higher than expected. While previous studies had showed that concentrations of plastic particles in drinking water can vary greatly and can contain anything between 0 and 10,000 microplastic particles, the current study has included nanoplastics and indicates that a litre of water may contain up to 250,000 plastic particles...
10 Jan 2024
East Asia and Pacific Region on track to meet 2030 WASH targets
On the 8th of January, UNICEF released an update on access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in the East Asia and Pacific region. The data indicates that at the current rate of progress, by 2030, the East Asia and Pacific region will achieve near universal access to at least basic drinking water and sanitation services...
12 Dec 2023
Investment Action Plan Closing the gap on investment in SDG 6 in Africa
The African Union and the High-Level Panel on Water Investments launched the Water Investment Action Plan at COP28. The Water Investment Action Plan has identified 53 national projects worth U.S. $ 30 billion across 19 African countries and 15 transboundary projects worth U.S. $ 9 billion, to be implemented in the remaining years until 2030...
12 Dec 2023
Spain battles critical drought amid political division and complex water challenges
The drought situation in Spain remains severe, especially affecting the mid-southern and eastern regions. Approximately 10 million people, roughly a quarter of the country's population, are currently subject to water restrictions due to this prolonged condition. In Catalonia, the ongoing water crisis has persisted for 36 months, surpassing the severity of the drought recorded in 2008...
12 Dec 2023
Why we need The Freshwater Challenge at COP28
Water is life. Unfortunately, in the “era of global boiling”, water is also one of the hardest hit natural resources of a changing climate, exacerbated by drainage, diversion or pollution of water bodies as byproducts of development. Rivers, lakes, and wetlands including peatlands are on the frontlines of the climate crisis...
11 Dec 2023
The three forms of weaponisation of water In Gaza
A series of events over the past months show the systematic weaponization of water in Gaza by Israeli forces on all three fronts, i.e. the use of water to gain leverage through flooding, contamination, or constriction (reducing access). Related to the first form of weaponization, i.e. flooding, On the 4th of December the Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli forces had assembled a system of five large pumps that it could use to flood Hamas’ network of tunnels under Gaza...
7 Dec 2023
Call for a Global Alliance to Spare Water from Armed Conflicts
On the 22nd and 23rd of November a workshop was held in Geneva to discuss the call for a global alliance to spare water from armed conflicts. The overarching objective of the envisaged alliance is to support policy level and practical actions to protect civilians during armed conflicts through the safeguarding of freshwater, water-related infrastructure, and essential services...
3 Dec 2023
International trade rerouted as Panama Canal cuts traffic due to drought
On the 27th of November the Panama Canal Authority (PCA) launched a programme to auction transits through the canal. The new system will auction the transit three days prior to the route becoming available, and is a response to the strongly reduced availability of water to feed the canal. From the 3rd of November, the Panama Canal Authority (PCA) implemented additional reductions in the number of vessels travelling through the waterway in an effort to conserve water...
3 Dec 2023
Second Global Water Policy Report: Listening to National Water Leaders Published
The Water Policy Group has collaborated with the national water leaders of 92 countries across the world to generate insights into some of the key issues faced by decision makers in the sector. In its 2023 report, which follows on from and builds on its 2021 report, the researchers highlight the responses of water leaders to questions around current risks and challenges, how international processes can best support improved water outcomes at the national level, and issues of integration with other sectors...
3 Dec 2023
Landmark High Court Ruling on UK’s duties to restore and protect waterways
In a judgement believed to be the most significant UK Court ruling on the Water Framework Directive of the last two decades, on the 20th of November, the High Court of Justice in England ruled that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) had failed in its duties to review, update and implement measures to restore rivers and other water bodies...
3 Dec 2023
Integrating Transboundary Climate Risks into the Global Goal on Adaptation
In a discussion brief produced by Adaptation Without Borders ahead of COP 28, the authors argue that transboundary climate risks need to be incorporated into the global goal on adaptation. This is important for the first ever five-yearly UNFCCC Global Stocktake, in which countries and stakeholders will make an assessment of progress towards the achievement of the Paris Agreement on climate change...