Every day the most important news on water and sanitation from around the world, compiled by the Blue Community Network, defending water as a common, public good and a human right.
Taking Care of the Water is a Climate Solution
The report Land Back is Climate Policy Phase 2 of Part 2 emphasizes that Indigenous ways of knowing & being are powerful climate solutions.
The latest report in the Decolonizing Climate Policy series centres indigenous youth voices and transformative, land-based solutions. Indigenous Climate Action (ICA), a national Indigenous-led climate justice organization, emphasizes that Indigenous ways of knowing and being are powerful climate solutions. It offers a transformative vision that centres Indigenous leadership, holding responsibilities to land, water and all relations as the foundation of climate policy.
“This release marks a significant milestone in ICA’s ongoing work to expose the limitations of existing Canadian climate policy, ” shared Jayce Chiblow, ICA’s Director of Education and Programming. “This work continues to uplift Indigenous-led climate frameworks rooted in self-determination, land stewardship, and cultural reclamation.”
Current drought situation in Europe
The latest status of drought in Europe using a combined drought indicator.
The Combined Drought Indicator (CDI) for the period 21-31 May 2025 shows worsening drought conditions in central and eastern Europe.
Prolonged and critical drought conditions continue in the South-Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
During this 10-day period, temperatures have been above the seasonal average in the Iberian Peninsula, with extension towards France at the end of the month, and in eastern Türkiye.
See European Commission / Tags: WaterCrisis
Australia: Auditor-general slams WA’s water regulator as report exposes lack of oversight
Authorities have no idea how much water is being pulled from WA aquifers or if it is being taken legally, a scathing auditor-general report claims.
That’s because the government agency responsible was not doing the necessary monitoring and enforcement required which the auditor-general said threatened the sustainability of the state’s groundwater supply.
Battling staff shortages, the agency said since the audit concluded in July 2024, it had increased its enforcement and handed out a record number of fines.
Read ABC News / Tags: Australia
Togo Set to Benefit from New Phase of PARIIS Irrigation Project
Togo and three other West African countries could gain stronger irrigation support under the new phase of the Projet d’Appui Régional à l’Initiative pour l’Irrigation au Sahel (PARIIS). Officials announced this on June 10, 2025, at a two-day sub-regional meeting in Lomé.
The meeting gathered current beneficiary countries to review six years of PARIIS-SIIP implementation, which ends on June 30. It also allowed exchanges with other member states of the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), including Benin, Togo, Guinea-Bissau, and Equatorial Guinea.
Read Togo First / Tags: Togo – Benin
People are flocking to Florida. Will there be enough water for them?
Climate change, a development boom, and overexploitation of groundwater are draining the Sunshine State.
While wading through wetlands in the headwaters of the Everglades, where tall, serrated grasses shelter alligators and water moccasins, agroecologist Elizabeth Boughton described one of Florida’s biggest environmental problems: There’s either too much water, or too little.
An intensifying climate, overexploitation of groundwater, and a development boom have catalyzed a looming water supply shortage — something that once seemed impossible for the rainy peninsula.
Read Grist / Tags: US
Canada: Central Alberta farmers concerned by fracking operation’s use of water
A number of farmers near Rimbey, Alta., are raising concerns about a nearby hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operation, saying they believe its significant use of water is having an impact on their businesses.
“The consequences on our herd, it’s devastating,” said Butch Smith, who added his family has operated a bison farm in the area for three decades.
“Our animals in the feedlot — for three-and-a-half months — did zero gain on full feed, our yearlings, which is the way we make our living.”
Read Global News / Tags: Canada
US: Near-record nitrate levels in Des Moines, Iowa-area rivers threaten drinking water
Local officials warned more than half a million Iowans in the state’s capital city and suburbs on Thursday that near-record level of pollutants in its rivers could make drinking water dangerous if immediate steps are not taken to reduce demand.
But the officials declined to explain what they believe has caused the surge in nitrate levels, which has historically been tied to runoff from farmland draining into Des Moines-area rivers.
The water utility, Central Iowa Water Works, issued a first-ever ban on lawn watering for the region after seeing the highest levels of nitrates in the river water since 2013. Federal regulations require a maximum nitrate level of 10 milligrams per liter. The current level being provided to 600,000 customers is 9, local officials said.
Read AP Associated Press / Tags: US
Ireland: Water restrictions extended to August as rain fails to end drought in three counties
Water restrictions in three drought-hit counties are to be extended to August.
Uisce Éireann said recent rain has not been sufficient to replenish affected lakes and water supplies remain under pressure.
The supplies serving 70,000 customers in Mullingar, Co Westmeath; Kells-Oldcastle in Co Meath and Milford in Co Donegal have been subject to mandatory water conservation orders since early May.
The orders were to last six weeks but the areas will now be under the same restrictions for a further seven weeks, ending on August 4.
Read Irish Independent / Tags: Ireland – WaterCrisis
UK: What does a drought mean for Yorkshire?
A drought has officially been declared for Yorkshire after the driest start to a year in 96 years. But what does that mean for people living and working in the region?
During a drought, which is announced by the Environment Agency, water companies are required to put their drought plan into action.
This can mean customers being asked to reduce their water usage and, if that is ineffective, hosepipe bans could follow.
The move to drought status does not automatically trigger action, but allows the Environment Agency and water firms to increase efforts to manage the impact.
Read BBC / Tags: UK – WaterCrisis
