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27 May 2021 New York, United States

"Water Under Fire": UNICEF Report Calls For End To WASH Attacks

UNICEF publishes the third in its series of reports on the devastating impacts on children caused when water and sanitation infrastructure is compromised during conflict. Urges adherence to humanitarian and human rights law as well as improved monitoring and advocacy.

30 Apr 2021 OTTOWA, Canada

Canadian Trade Union Urges Pension Investor To Withdraw From Brazilian Water Deal

Canada Pension Plan Investments comes under fire for its participation in privatisation of Brazilian public water utility. Trade union CUPE calls out "outrageous" use of "workers' retirement funds to profit from people's need for clean water". Challenges wisdom of deal amid political uncertainty.

17 Dec 2020 PRETORIA, South Africa

Environmental Approval For Thabametsi Withdrawn; Coal Project Officially Dead

The North Gauteng (South Africa) High Court has set aside the environmental authorisation for the 1500 MW Thabametsi power station, thereby ending the long saga of environmental dispute brought by NGOs Earthlife Africa, GroundWork, and Friends of the Earth against Thabametsi and the state of Limpopo...

10 Nov 2020 JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

Investors Withdraw Financing For "Dirty" South Africa Power Projects

Continuation of construction of the 630 MW Thabametsi coal-fired power plant in Limpopo province is in doubt as key investors follow South Africa’s major banks who have withdrawn commitments due to continuing environmental activism. Only Marubeni Corporation of Japan, with a 50 Percent stake, remains...

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15 Sep 2020 MEXICO CITY, Mexico

Two Farmers Killed By Military Police At La Boquilla Dam

Two protesting farmers at the Boquilla Dam in Chihuahua, Mexico were killed by military police 9 September following altercations including stone-throwing, Molotov cocktails and occupation the dam’s control centre.The farmers’ protest has arisen as a result of plans to divert more water from the drought-affected region to the United States to fulfill “water debt” obligations accruing under a 1944 water-sharing treaty...

8 Sep 2020 WASHINGTON DC, United States

USEPA Relaxes Black Coal Plant Water Waste Rules

The Trump administration has confirmed that it is scaling back regulations introduced under President Obama that were designed to limit the levels of toxic materials in coal plants’ water waste.The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) said it’s relaxing rules about the disposal of coal ash (a fine powder and sludge) and contaminated water produced by coal-burning power plants...

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10 Mar 2020 WASHINGTON DC, United States

PFAS Water Contamination Claims Mount Dramatically

The National Rural Water Association (NRWA) of the United States has filed a PFAS class action lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia against the makers of firefighting foam products, accusing them of contaminating groundwater with carcinogens. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals,) are a class of heat and water-resistant chemicals that are used in a wide variety of applications including flame-retardants, and non-stick and industrial products, and are contained in many consumer goods such as raincoats, cookware and packaging...

3 Mar 2020 SYDNEY NSW, Australia

Wildfire Ash And Debris Flow Into Reservoir Hitting Sydney Drinking Water Supply

Widespread bushfires followed by torrential rains had a predictable, detrimental effect on the reservoirs that supply drinking water to Australia's greater Sydney area.During December and January, more than 320,000 hectares of the Warragamba Catchment area were ravaged by fire. This was followed by very heavy rainfall that pushed unprecedented amounts and clearly visible amounts of ash and debris into Lake Burragorang at the Warragamba Dam...

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25 Feb 2020 WASHINGTON DC, United States

Water And Trump's Middle East Peace Plan

United States President Donald Trump’s long-awaited “Peace Plan” for the Middle East, revealed 28 January, has come under fire for disregarding the political and economic needs of occupied Palestine and lack of recognition or acknowledgement of one of the most contentious issues that abounds throughout the region: allocation of water resources...

13 Feb 2020 COPENHAGEN, Denmark

Climate Change Impacts On Europe Mapped

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has released a new compilation of maps reflecting how effects of drought, sea-level rise, forest fires, extreme rain and flooding may affect selected regions in Europe. The maps are based on different greenhouse gas emissions scenarios and climate models that have been projected through the 21st Century...

3 Feb 2020 GENEVA, Switzerland

The World's Underreported Humanitarian Crises

An annual assessment of global online media coverage of "underreported" humanitarian crises, many related to water challenges, indicates increasing linkage between such events and man-made climate change.Humanitarian agency CARE International launched its fourth such analysis 28 January, examining 40 disasters and conflicts that have affected at least a million people to determine which are the most under-reported...

29 Jan 2020 NEW YORK NY, United States

Deportation Of Climate Change Refugees Can Be A Violation Of Human Rights

In a landmark decision, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) this month ruled that governments must consider the effects of climate change when assessing deportation of asylum seekers. Although decisions of the UN body are not legally binding, the ruling could present a precedent for asylum applications linked to climate change...