In The News

In the US, Clean Water Is No Guarantee

Susan Froetschel August 11, 2011
Americans use twice as much water as Europeans do and pay half as much for it. Low fees lead many Americans to take their abundant supplies for granted. Globally, most water is used for irrigation purposes, but in the US, thermoelectric generation requires more water. “During an economic recession, protecting water supplies takes a back seat to industries that promise jobs,” notes journalist...

East Africa Famine Threatens Regional Stability, USAID Chief Says

Joshua Hersh July 20, 2011
Unrelenting drought in East Africa has put the region at risk for major famine. “Aid workers in East Africa have spent months gearing up for the looming crisis, thanks in part to an early-warning system operated by USAID [US Agency for International Development] that first predicted a round of devastating crop failures and food shortages late last year,” reports Joshua Hersh for the Huffington...

The Decline of Agriculture?

Dahr Jamail July 18, 2011
Farmers who depend on reliable seasonal patterns are troubled by climate change, whether gradual or volatile disruption. Farmers and climate researchers increasingly question agriculture’s ability to feed fast-growing populations. Early sprouting, dry spells, torrential rains, virulent pests and need for replanting are no longer rare occurrences. The weather extremes of 2011 are unprecedented,...

Water Challenges Asia’s Rising Powers – Part II

Rohini Nilekani July 14, 2011
India and China account for one third of the world’s population; each consumes more freshwater than other nations. Per inhabitant per year, though, India uses less than half what’s used in the US, China uses less than one third. This YaleGlobal series examines India and China’s water use, their expectations for rising demand and recognition that shortages will disrupt economic progress. The...

How Seawater Can Power the World

Stewart C. Prager July 14, 2011
Securing future energy sources will follow the path of past examples – through the long, hard work of scientific discovery that is so often a gamble. “[A]bundant, safe and clean energy source once thought to be the stuff of science fiction is closer than many realize: nuclear fusion,” writes Stewart C. Prager, Princeton physicist, in an opinion essay for the New York Times. But billions of...

Water Challenges Asia’s Rising Powers – Part I

Keith Schneider July 12, 2011
Scarcity of water increasingly challenges economic growth of India and China. Water’s role in economic development is taken for granted, yet for running the growth engine it’s as precious a commodity as fossil fuels. This YaleGlobal series examines strategies for negotiating demands among competing industries. Conflicts over water could disrupt China’s steady economic progress, argues journalist...

China Proposes $15bn Indus Dam Scheme

William MacNamara June 21, 2011
Extremism is not deterring China’s foreign-investment plans with Pakistan. The builders behind the world’s largest dam, China’s Three Gorges, have proposed a $15 billion dam project for Pakistan and the Indus River, promising to control floods and produce power, reports William MacNamara for the Financial Times. The Indus is about 3000 kilometers long, passing from Tibet to Kashmir and Pakistan....