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Bottled Water: Who Needs It? Dam siltation Ebro water transfer conflicts Global water crisis sparks surge in desalination Kenyan flower production Large dams - the end of an era? Libya's water supply: plumbing the Sahara New Chinese dam building project triggers a forced migration China's growing thirst for water is driving one of the world's biggest mass relocations, with 440,000 people leaving their homes to make way for a huge man-made canal project to channel water to drought-prone Beijing. Race to buy up the World's water Around the world, rivers, lakes, and aquifers are dwindling faster than Mother Nature can possibly replenish them; industrial and household chemicals are rapidly polluting what’s left. Meanwhile, global population is ticking skyward. Global water consumption is doubling every 20 years, and the United Nations expects demand to outstrip supply by more than 30 percent come 2040. Proponents of privatization say markets are the best way to solve that problem: only the invisible hand can bring supply and demand into harmony, and only market pricing will drive water use down enough to make a dent in water scarcity. But the benefits of the market come at a price. By definition, a commodity is sold to the highest bidder, not the customer with the most compelling moral claim. As the crisis worsens, companies like True Alaska that own the rights to vast stores of water (and have the capacity to move it in bulk) won’t necessarily weigh the needs of wealthy water-guzzling companies like Coca-Cola or Nestlé against those of water-starved communities in Phoenix or Ghana; privately owned water utilities will charge what the market can bear, and spend as little as they can get away with on maintenance and environmental protection. Spain's troubled waters: River Ebro water politics Tasteless or brilliant? Iceberg water might be both A native Newfoundlander sees his fortune floating in a Greenland fjord. He's on a mission to bottle and sell rare iceberg water - at $10 a bottle or more. They must be barking Three Gorges Dam preparations require demolition of whole towns Explosive experts have blown up buildings in the town of Yongan, on the Yangtze River, as part of preparations for the opening of the highly controversial Three Gorges Dam. Water - a rare and precious resource Water debate 'Water poverty' to rise in the UK Water scarcity - a looming crisis? What does the Arab world do when its water runs out? World's water hotspots From disappearing lakes and dwindling rivers to military threats over shared resources, water is a cause for deep concern in many parts of the world. Click on the map to read about some of the world's water hotspots.
Bottled Water: Who Needs It?
Dam siltation
Ebro water transfer conflicts
Global water crisis sparks surge in desalination
Kenyan flower production
Large dams - the end of an era?
Libya's water supply: plumbing the Sahara
New Chinese dam building project triggers a forced migration
Race to buy up the World's water
Spain's troubled waters: River Ebro water politics
Tasteless or brilliant? Iceberg water might be both
They must be barking
Three Gorges Dam preparations require demolition of whole towns
Water - a rare and precious resource
Water debate
'Water poverty' to rise in the UK
Water scarcity - a looming crisis?
What does the Arab world do when its water runs out?
World's water hotspots
