Water

A new study identifies potential for the expansion of sustainable and profitable irrigated areas in African drylands. This impressive growth could ensure food security to offset high population growth and reverse Africa's low agricultural productivity. But lower irrigation technology costs, rural infrastructure and complementary agricultural inputs are needed.

An Open Public Consultation is being carried out via EU Survey. The platform seeks to collect views on how the EU’s Water Framework Directive and Floods Directive have changed the sustainable management of water, improved water bodies, and impacted strategies to reduce flood risks. You can share your opinions until 11 March.

A researcher in Montana has developed a map that accurately predicts where snow will accumulate and feed streams. Using elevation, slope, and solar radiation to identify where snow is likely to be, the map helps pinpoint which parts of the watershed are most vulnerable to climate change and will require assistance to increase their natural water storage.

This report aims to make groundwater interlinkages more explicit and describe their strength and direction to assist decision-makers’ understanding of where and to what extent groundwater must be taken into consideration when planning and implementing

The Hirakud dam on the Mahanadi River in Odisha has failed to stem flooding, supply irrigation water to thousands of farmers, and provide electricity and drinking water. Farmers are desperate for irrigation but tensions are flaring as industries, spurred by government agreements, take water from the river, which has become more stressed with climate change.

The aim of this paper is to outline, apply and validate a novel tool to account for water use and water stress in African savannas at fine scale, using Earth Observation data (low to high spatial resolution sensors), to provide accurate and timely

New research reveals that rising temperatures are responsible for 53% of the long-term decline in the Colorado River's flow, with changing precipitation patterns and other factors accounting for the rest. The sizable effects of rising temperatures are largely due to increased evaporation and water uptake by plants, as well as by sublimation of snowpacks.

In this interview, Tim Harris, CEO of Wesgro, reveals that Cape Town's water crisis created negative publicity that inhibited its tourism industry. But after heeding advice from Visit California, Cape Town turned the drought into a positive story by leveraging the public's changed water consumption as a symbol of resilience.