Ghana, Burkina Faso and Kenya Wise-Up to Climate Change. THE climate change phenomenon and how best countries can mitigate the impacts or adapt to them continues to be a priority issue of concern worldwide.
Of particular concern to the international community is the high level of vulnerability of African countries to climate change. This is because their economies, which are mostly natural resources based (agriculture, mining, fishing, etc.) are highly sensitive to climate change and climate variability. Consequently, the United Nations, World Bank and other international organisations agree that Africa will be worst hit by climate change.
They predict the phenomenon will bring about an increased incidence of extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, mudslides; as well as a rise in infectious diseases. Wired 10.04: The Rainmaker. The Rainmaker How a low-cost, lightweight pump is changing the economy of a nation.
By Lisa Margonelli In a village in southern Kenya, a barefoot farmer stands at the edge of a crumbly field. The hot wind rattles his neighbor's desiccated corn like maracas. It's the standard setting for an African disaster story - roll the footage of drought, famine, disease, displacement, overpopulation, war. The farmer is John Wangai, and he is poised atop his MoneyMaker Plus, a manual irrigation pump made by a Nairobi-based nonprofit company called Appropriate Technologies for Enterprise Creation, or simply Approtec. And one well worth paying. This is a story about a pump - a relatively simple tool that hides its advanced engineering. As of December, there were 20,000 MoneyMakers pumping away in Kenya, according to Approtec's market research.
Poisoning the Well: How the Feds Let Energy and Mining Companies Pollute Underground Water. A view of the dry bed of the E.V. Spence Reservoir in Robert Lee, Texas, in October 2011. Records show that environmental officials have granted more than 50 aquifer exemptions for waste disposal and uranium mining in the drought-stricken state. (Calle Richmond/Reuters) EPA records show that portions of at least 100 drinking water aquifers have been written off because exemptions have allowed them to be used as dumping grounds. "You are sacrificing these aquifers," said Mark Williams, a hydrologist at the University of Colorado and a member of a National Science Foundation team studying the effects of energy development on the environment.
As part of an investigation into the threat to water supplies [1] from underground injection of waste, ProPublica set out to identify which aquifers have been polluted. We found the EPA has not even kept track of exactly how many exemptions it has issued, where they are, or whom they might affect. The balance is even more delicate in Colorado.
CONSERVATION. Aging water infrastructure burdens U.S. economy, report finds. Stormwater. Skip to main navigation What is stormwater?
Stormwater runoff carries pollutants into waterbodies Stormwater is water from rain or melting snow that doesn't soak into the ground but runs off into waterways. It flows from rooftops, over paved areas and bare soil, and through sloped lawns while picking up a variety of materials on its way. Stormwater Basic Information. What is the NPDES Stormwater Program?
The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Stormwater Program regulates stormwater discharges from three potential sources: municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), construction activities, and industrial activities. Most stormwater discharges are considered point sources, and operators of these sources may be required to receive an NPDES permit before they can discharge. This permitting mechanism is designed to prevent stormwater runoff from washing harmful pollutants into local surface waters such as streams, rivers, lakes or coastal waters.
Most states are authorized to implement the NPDES Stormwater Program and administer their own stormwater permitting programs. Stormwater Program - Office of Wastewater Management. Stormwater runoff is generated when precipitation from rain and snowmelt events flows over land or impervious surfaces and does not percolate into the ground.
Stormwater. Stormwater is of concern for two main issues: one related to the volume and timing of runoff water (flooding) and the other related to potential contaminants that the water is carrying, i.e. water pollution.
Stormwater is also a resource and ever growing in importance as the world's human population demand exceeds the availability of readily available water. Techniques of stormwater harvesting with point source water management and purification can potentially make urban environments self-sustaining in terms of water. History[edit] Since humans began living in concentrated village or urban settings, stormwater runoff has been an issue.
Watershed Central. Welcome to Watershed Central Watershed Central provides state, local, and voluntary watershed management entities with the key tools, resources, guidance, and datasets to aide in a successful watershed management.
Learn More Watershed Plan Builder The Watershed Plan Builder is an interactive tool that will help you produce a customized watershed based plan outline. Try it now Watershed Central Wiki. What's a Watershed? What is a Watershed? RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT. Integrated Water Resources Management. Definition[edit] Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has been defined by the Global Water Partnership (GWP) as "a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources, in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems" The development of IWRM was particularly recommended in the final statement of the ministers at the International Conference on Water and the Environment in 1992 (so called the Dublin principles).
This concept aims to promote changes in practices which are considered fundamental to improved water resources management. In the current definition, IWRM rests upon three principles that together act as the overall framework: It is crucial to note that IWRM practices depend on context; at the operational level, the challenge is to translate the agreed principles into concrete action. Implementation[edit] References[edit]