The world’s fresh water supplies are almost fully exploited.Almost al, 97 per cent, of the world’s water is salt. Of the fresh water in the world, two thirds is locked up as ice and snow (the cryosphere – to you and me, kid!). Globally, three quarters of the water that is used is used by agriculture. India, China and the United States, use more fresh water than is available. The water level in those nation’s aquifers is falling as a result.The current food crisis has come about largely as a result as the shortfall in available water begins to impact on the cost of irrigation.Â
Matthew Warren, The Australian JOHN Howard’s $10 billion national water plan will be scrapped and replaced with a more aggressive redistribution of the resource, under a radical reform blueprint released yesterday. Under the plan to drought-proof the Murray-Darling basin by leading water economist Mike Young, the 10-year Howard plan to hand out nearly $6 billion Continue Reading →
Source: Reuters
Vast mines in Peru and Chile that supply the world with crucial metals have started to pump water from the Pacific Ocean high into the Andes Mountains because of chronic water shortages exacerbated by climate change. Tapping sea water allows miners to avoid relying on unpredictable rivers, which may run dry as glaciers melt, and avert clashes with farmers who draw their water from creeks in poor mountain villages. "Water always generates conflicts between mines and farmers, so this is a good alternative because the source is limitless," said German Arce, who runs Peru’s newest big mine, Cerro Lindo, owned by Peruvian miner Milpo.
Ocean water is free, except for transportation and treatment. Cerro Lindo relies entirely on sea water, filtered in a desalination plant and sent 6,000 feet (1,800 m) into the barren Andes in a thick green hose to the mine; its zinc, copper and lead refinery; and 700 workers who live there. In Chile, Antofagasta Minerals <ANTO.L> soon will open the $1.5 billion Esperanza gold and copper mine. Like Cerro Lindo in Peru, it will be the country’s first mine totally dependent on the sea.
The Tasmanian authorities have referrred a proposal to release water from Lakes Sorell and Crescent in the Central Highlands of Tasmania to provide for irrigation from the Clyde River.
3,300 megalitre release proposed: The closest town was Bothwell, approximately 20 km downstream on the River Clyde. Lake Crescent was 2305 hectares and Lake Sorell was 5310 hectares in area at approximately 800m. The proposal involved the release of 3,300 megalitres of water from Lake Crescent, Tasmania into the River Clyde, for the purposes of supplying a limited amount of irrigation water to farmers downstream of the lake. This amount of irrigation water was required to maintain the viability of farm businesses in the Clyde Valley, which was now in its second year of drought.
No alternative: The timeframe within which the referred action was to be taken would be from the first allowable date through until April 30 2008, unless all water was released prior to that date. There were no alternative methods or activities to achieve the referred action. Lake Crescent was the main source for the supply of irrigation water to the River Clyde Valley. The use of limited water supplies in farm dams was the only alternative that could realistically be considered.
But in a visit to Renmark to meet irrigator groups and local government leaders, she said the federal Government would consider all options put to it.
The South Australian senator’s appearance in the Riverland, where fruit and winegrowers face water shortages, has buoyed the community.
South Australian Murray Irrigators director Tim Whetstone said: "It’s a breath of fresh air within the community and for the irrigators. We’ve had so little representation up here to look at our needs and the pressure that we’re facing.
"The last government announced a water plan and then did nothing about it. They put it on the mantelpiece, and that’s where it stayed."
A combination of restrictions and consumer education have cut the use of water on Queensland’s Gold Coast from over 300 litres per person per day to less than 140. Premier Bligh, in a speech about waters critical role in Queensland politics said, “Without a doubt, the most extraordinary achievement in relation to water that we Continue Reading →
Activists opposing plans to pipe water from parched rural centres to Melbourne’s suburbs were advocating disrupting train and water services to Melbourne, and blockading highways and Labor MPs’ electorate offices as the state’s water debate became increasingly bitter. Instruction leaflets delivered: Leaflets with instructions on how to carry out these tactics had been distributed around Continue Reading →