Water

Government ignores experts in water plan

29 May 20 - New Zealand’s government has been praised for listening to health experts in its pandemic response, but when it comes to dealing with pollution of the country’s waterways, scientific advice seems less important.

Tough new water laws put heat on farmers

28 May 20 - Dairy farmers will have to disclose how much synthetic nitrogen fertiliser they are putting on their land under new rules expected to clean up waterways and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

WATER WARNING: We don't yet have the answers

16 Apr 20 - New Zealand has insufficient information to accurately predict the impact climate change will have on the country’s waterways and water supplies, a new report out today is warning.

Poor water systems greater risk than virus, says UN

23 Mar 20 - Decades of chronic underfunding of water infrastructure is putting many countries at worse risk in the coronavirus crisis, experts said as the UN marked World Water Day.

Scientists lift their game on how lakes work

6 Mar 20 - Scientists know so little about how storms affect the delicate balance of lake ecosystems that we might be unable to protect them from the effects of climate change, says a NIWA academic.

Fresh water from sunshine keeps thirst at bay

13 Feb 20 - An international team of scientists has developed a cheap way to provide fresh water to thirsty communities by making seawater drinkable without using electricity.

Wastewater flushes away a river of wealth

10 Feb 20 - Canadian scientists have identified a new source of energy, wealth and nourishment being lost each day in every city, town and municipality on the planet: a great river of wastewater.

1.9b people at risk from mountain water shortages

10 Dec 19 - A quarter of the world’s population is at risk of water supply problems as mountain glaciers, snow-packs and alpine lakes are run down by global heating and rising demand, according to an...

New water for old as glaciers vanish

5 Dec 19 - Voids left as glaciers vanish could be used to store spring snowmelt and rainfall to save the valleys below from summer droughts.

Quarter of world running short of water

9 Aug 19 - A quarter of the world’s population across 17 countries are living in regions of extremely high water stress, a new report reveals.

Tank-water communities could be at risk

9 Jul 19 - Rural communities relying on rain on their roofs for water could be at more risk of disease as the climate warms, new research shows.

Jesus might think again if he could see the Jordan today

25 Feb 19 - If Jesus were alive today, he might reconsider a baptism in the river Jordan - there’s a good chance he’d pick up an eye infection.

Groundwater impact might take years

15 Feb 19 - While climate change makes dramatic changes to weather and ecosystems on the surface, the impact on the world’s groundwater is likely to be delayed, representing a challenge for future generations.

Scientists warn of groundwater 'time bomb'

25 Jan 19 - Climate change might be creating a groundwater "time bomb" as the world's underground water systems catch up to the impacts of global warming.

World Bank issues first sustainable water bond

5 Sep 18 - The World Bank has launched a Sustainable Development Bond series to raise awareness of the importance of ocean resources.

DRYING OUT: Water shortage key challenge of the century

18 May 18 - Scientists voice new concerns about water shortages as data reveals swathes of the globe are drying out.

Five billion could be short of water by 2050, says UN

21 Mar 18 - More than five billion people could suffer water shortages by 2050 due to climate change, increased demand and polluted supplies, according to a UN report.

What Day Zero means to Cape Town

26 Feb 18 - Day Zero in Cape Town is when most of the city’s water taps will be switched off.

Cities most likely to run out of drinking water (like Cape Town)

12 Feb 18 - Cape Town is in the unenviable situation of being the first major city in the modern era to face the threat of running out of drinking water.