Today: Africa, Argentina, Australia, Chad, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, India, Israel, Lebanon, Mexico, Palestine, Privatisation, Right2Water, Singapore, SouthAfrica, Switzerland, Turkey, Türkiye, UK, Uruguay, Water&Climate, WaterConflicts, WaterCrisis
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.
Chad: Sudanese refugees face a daily struggle to find water.
After more than two years of war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, tens of thousands of refugees continue to arrive in Chad. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 85,000 new arrivals have been registered in the provinces of Wadi Fira and Ennedi East since 23 April 2025. Each new wave of displacement puts further pressure on the already fragile water and sanitation systems in and around the camps.
Completion of Ethiopia mega dam reignites regional water rights wrangles
The $4 billion mega structure also magnifies one of the most pressing dilemmas of our time: Can mega-hydropower projects still be considered ‘green’ in an era of climate uncertainty, ecological fragility, and contested resources?
UK: Ofwat to be abolished as ministers look to create new water regulator
Exclusive: Watchdog has faced intense criticism over sewage spills, shareholder payouts and ballooning debts.
England and Wales’ embattled water regulator will be abolished under recommendations from a government-commissioned review due out on Monday, the Guardian understands.
My opinion: A new regulator will not make a substantial difference. Rather than attempting to regulate ex post facto, after the damage has already been done, it would be much more sensible to save that money and run the water service as a public entity for the public good. If you do no harm, you won’t need to regulate. Roland Brunner.
France: Is drought a problem in Brittany?
Following two successive heatwaves, June 2025 was the second hottest June ever recorded in France, with temperatures 3.3°C above normal. It was 3.3°C above normal, compared to 3.6°C in June 2003. Temperature records were broken in many towns on 30 June, including in Brittany, with temperatures reaching 35.5°C in Pommerit-Jaudy and Lanleff, 36°C in Dinard, and 37.7°C in Arbrissel. This is not the start to summer we want to see… What consequences does a water shortage have for us and biodiversity? What solutions and means of adaptation are available, and how is the situation evolving in Brittany? In our summer series, ‘Drought’, we analyse this increasingly frequent and alarming water crisis. Episode 2: Is drought a problem in Brittany?
Africa Demands Real Climate Finance, Not Empty Promises as UN Urges Swift Support for Communities Facing Climate Crisis
Across Africa, families are losing their farms to droughts, watching floods wash away their homes, and struggling to find clean water. While the global community debates numbers and targets, African communities are living the harsh reality of the climate crisis every single day.
The World Is Entering a Dark New Era of Hydroterrorism
International institutions need to start treating water as a national security flashpoint.
Water has long been a tool of warfare, but in recent years, the world has entered a dark new era of hydroterrorism. Around the globe, from Yemen to Ukraine, this critical resource is increasingly being used as a tool of control. According to the Pacific Institute, global water-related violence surged by more than 50 percent in 2023 alone. Yet international institutions still treat water as a development or an environmental issue—not as the national security flashpoint it has become.
Drinking water: France has once again been issued with a formal notice for failing to comply with the European directive.
Water is an essential and threatened resource.
The updated regulation, which is due to be transposed by Member States in 2023, aims to protect the health of Europeans by setting quality standards. Ireland and Slovenia have also been singled out by Brussels.
France has two months to respond and remedy its shortcomings. The European Commission sent France a letter of formal notice after deciding to ‘open infringement proceedings’, AFP learned on Friday, 18 July. The issue is that France has not correctly transposed the drinking water directive, which sets quality standards. Brussels sent the same letter to Ireland and Slovenia.
Drought in Lebanon: Ministry of Energy launches national campaign to reduce water usage
On Monday, Sami Alawiyé, the director of the Litani River Authority, told Reuters that there was a water shortage in all regions and river basins in Lebanon.
On Friday, the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water launched a ‘national campaign’ to encourage more efficient use of water during the summer, amid severe drought in the country.
Argentina: Privatisation of AySA. Water supply may be cut off for non-payment, and rates will increase due to inflation and new projects.
Javier Milei’s government plans to launch a national and international public tender for at least 51% of the shares in Agua y Saneamientos Argentinos Sociedad Anónima (AySA) before the end of the year, with the intention of transferring control of the service to a private company within a year. The remaining shares, currently held by the state (which owns 90% of the company), will also be auctioned on the stock exchange in 2026.
In order to attract companies or consortiums, the government intends to amend the regulatory framework of AySA’s concession in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA). Proposals include enabling the new concessionaire to cut off service to residential customers who are behind on payments, adjusting rates quarterly based on inflation and financing works through users’ final bills.
6 Countries Excelling at Water, 3 Falling Behind
- Singapore: Turning Scarcity into Strength
- Denmark: Leading the Charge for Clean Water
- Israel: Pioneers in Desalination and Reuse
- Australia: Adapting to Drought and Climate Extremes
- Switzerland: Alpine Waters and Rigorous Standards
- Finland: Nature’s Bounty and Sustainable Practices
- India: Struggling with Access and Pollution
- South Africa: Battling Drought and Inequality
- Mexico: Urban Supply Gaps and Overextraction
- Germany: Quiet Excellence in Water Efficiency
Climate Cosmos / Australia – Denmark – Finland – Germany – India – Israel – Mexico – Singapore – SouthAfrica – Switzerland
Uruguay: The government has presented a strategic project for the supply of drinking water.
The Secretary of the Presidency, Alejandro Sánchez, announced that the government had reached an agreement with the Aguas de Montevideo consortium to guarantee the supply of drinking water to the metropolitan area’s population until 2045.
After 90 days of negotiations to analyse the feasibility of continuing with the Neptuno project, Sánchez stated that the parties had agreed to build a 200,000 cubic metre water treatment plant on the Santa Lucía river basin, near Aguas Corrientes. This plant will produce 900,000 cubic metres of drinking water.
UK: Ministers vow to tackle all forms of water pollution in England and Wales
Exclusive: Commitment comes as data shows serious pollution events involving water firms up by 60%.
Ministers will take action to tackle all forms of water pollution in England and Wales, the government has promised, as the sector awaits the findings of a report on the water industry on Monday.
Read also: Crumbling water industry is damaging Britain’s economy, MPs warn. Failure to build new reservoirs delays housebuilding as customers foot soaring bills. The Telegraph
We wonder: One more empty promise? When will the UK Labour government finally walk the talk and stop this disaster of privatised water services?
Australia: Algal bloom leaves Coorong facing ‘ecological collapse’, advocates warn
South Australia’s Ramsar-listed Coorong is facing “ecological collapse” due to the impact of the toxic algal bloom, advocates say.
The bloom has killed marine life in the “one truly healthy area of the Coorong that was remaining”, raising fears for migratory bird species and commercial fishing.
The Coorong Environmental Trust has put forward a “last-ditch” plan to “rescue” the wetlands, which the state government says it is keen to implement.
Killing of young siblings at Gaza water point shows seeking life’s essentials now a deadly peril
Karam al-Ghussain, 9, and Lulu, 10, were fetching water from a nearby distribution station when an Israeli strike hit it, and them.
In Gaza, being a helpful, loving child can be a death sentence. Heba al-Ghussain’s nine-year-old son, Karam, was killed by an Israeli airstrike because he went to fetch water for the family, and her 10-year-old daughter, Lulu, was killed because she went to give Karam a hand.
The Guardian / Israel – Palestine – Right2Water
Turkish aid agency TIKA launches projects in Kenya to boost ties
TIKA implements thousands of projects in critical areas such as education, health, agriculture and access to clean water across Africa.
Operating from 22 offices in Africa, TIKA implements thousands of projects in critical areas such as education, health, agriculture, and access to clean water, underscoring Türkiye’s growing engagement and commitment to the development of African nations.
TRT global / Africa – Turkey – Türkiye
