Water

New water for old as glaciers vanish

Thursday - 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.

Drought city's telltale map puts pressure on water users

24 Jan 18 - The latest weapon in Cape Town’s water saving arsenal is a map that exposes private meter readings to public scrutiny.

Changing climate threatens our water systems

27 Oct 17 - Much of New Zealand’s $20 billion worth of stormwater and wastewater systems will not cope with the impacts of climate change, an expert is warning.

On a parched planet, nations look to the clouds

26 Sep 17 - To cope with worsening heat and drought, countries from the United States to China are turning to “cloud seeding” to boost rainfall.

WAR AND WARMING: A great waterway comes under threat

8 Sep 17 - Hydrologists and climate scientists have just calculated the future of one of the world’s most celebrated waterways, the River Jordan. Their conclusion is that the outlook is poor − and getting...

WATER WARNING: The world is drinking microplastic fibres

7 Sep 17 - Microplastic contamination has been found in tap water in countries around the world, leading to calls from scientists for urgent research on the implications for health.

How to turn $1 into $3: Plant the waterways

11 Aug 17 - Every dollar spent on planting New Zealand’s waterways would pay returns of at least $3.

Amazon dams plan is set to cost the Earth

4 Jul 17 - It’s one thing to harness a river. It’s quite another to build a series of Amazon dams and control the life of the planet’s richest habitat.

Climate change will alter flow of the Nile

3 May 17 - The 400 million people who depend on the predictability of the River Nile face an uncertain future as global warming delivers more extreme weather.