Latest news with #watercrisis
Emirates 24/7
6 hours ago
- General
- Emirates 24/7
UAE continues maintenance of water wells in Gaza under 'Operation Chivalrous Knight 3'
- The United Arab Emirates is continuing to carry out maintenance works on potable water wells in central Gaza as part of its ongoing 'Operation Chivalrous Knight 3' humanitarian mission. The project is supported by Sharjah Charity International, Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi Charity and Humanitarian Foundation, Dar Al Ber Society, in coordination with the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility in Gaza. It is part of a broader initiative to rehabilitate vital water wells across the Gaza Strip's municipalities. The project comes at a critical time as Gaza's residents face a severe water crisis due to prolonged humanitarian challenges and widespread infrastructure destruction. Access to safe water has become an urgent necessity amidst escalating thirst, disease outbreaks, and malnutrition, particularly with desalination plants out of service and limited fuel for their operation. The initiative includes the rehabilitation of water well infrastructure, maintenance of pumps and generators, and reactivation of out-of-service wells, aiming to secure clean water flow to hundreds of thousands of residents in central Gaza and alleviate pressure in increasingly dire humanitarian conditions. Water security remains a key priority for the UAE under 'Operation Chivalrous Knight 3', launched at the onset of the war. Among its recent strategic efforts is the implementation of a project to supply desalinated water from Egypt to the Al-Mawasi areas in Rafah and Khan Younis, expected to benefit around 600,000 residents in southern Gaza. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
NHK
8 hours ago
- Climate
- NHK
Climate crisis visible in tropical glaciers
The melting of glaciers in the Andes due to global warming is raising the risk of imminent disasters and future water shortages.
France 24
a day ago
- Climate
- France 24
Greece mulls water-saving moves as heatwave intensifies
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the cabinet had discussed plans to make water companies more "viable", noting that reserves in Athens were down 50 percent compared to three years ago. There will be additional use of desalination technology and water reuse, the premier's office said, adding that Greece globally ranked 19th in terms of drought risk. The National Observatory of Athens recently warned that, following high temperatures and low rainfall in June, almost all of Greece displayed above-normal drought levels for this time of year. Temperatures continued to rise Wednesday in a heatwave expected to last until Sunday. Between 40C and 44C are expected on Wednesday in the eastern, central, and northern inland regions, as well as on the islands of the eastern Aegean Sea, according to the website of the Athens National Observatory. In Athens, the heat reached 36.3C around 1:30 pm (1030 GMT). It is expected to rise to 42C on Thursday according to To protect visitors and guards, Greek authorities have closed the Acropolis in Athens during the hottest hours of the day, between 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm, until Friday. 'The asphalt is boiling' The Greek government has also banned outdoor work in several sectors during the hottest hours to minimise health risks. "It's inhumane to work in such conditions. The asphalt is boiling," Panagiotis Arvanitidis, 35, a member of the food delivery workers' union in the Thessaloniki region (north), told AFP. "The ambient temperature in my home over the past two days has exceeded 30C," said 50-year-old medical saleswoman Anna Spania. "Without air conditioning, survival is impossible!" she added. The heatwave's highest temperatures so far were recorded on Tuesday at Tragana, central Greece, at 44.9C, according to
CBC
a day ago
- Climate
- CBC
No doubt there's a drought — scientist says N.L. water levels are historically low
Running out of water on an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean may seem like an impossible idea — but that's exactly what's happening in Newfoundland. Paula Dawe, a scientist with the province's water resources management team, says more than 40 of the division's water monitoring stations are showing lower levels than normal and 10 of them are at all-time lows. Although that may come as a shock, Dawe says it shouldn't. "A lot of what we're seeing right now is what was predicted in the climate change projections about ... 20 years ago," Dawe said. "[We knew] the temperatures were going to be increasing in Newfoundland and Labrador, that stream flow was going to be lower, that waters were going to be warmer in the summer, that there would be less snowpack and it would be melting earlier." Just this summer, Dawe said she heard about groundwater wells drying up and salmon rivers having to close due to high water temperatures. Northwest River near Terra Nova Park has had to close several times this month for that reason. The area from Gander to St. John's is experiencing a moderate drought, according to data from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The ground is drier than usual on the central part of the island, while most of Labrador is spared, said Dawe. Dawe said heat records will continue to be broken in the coming years due to climate change. "What was once considered extreme ... historically is going to become the new normal," she said. There is a high potential for water shortages this year, Dawe said, but there are ways people can curb that. Some of her tips include waiting until it's absolutely necessary to wash a car or water the lawn. Dawe even recommends putting a brick in toilet tanks to displace some of the water. If communities are experiencing water shortages, Dawe encourages them to contact the province's Water Resources Management Division for support and co-ordination.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Climate
- Arab News
Heat wave hits water, electricity supplies across much of Iran
TEHRAN: A severe heat wave sweeping Iran has disrupted water and electricity supplies in much of the country, with reservoir levels falling to their lowest in a century, state media said on Tuesday. Extreme temperatures, which began on Friday, are expected to ease gradually by Thursday. Government offices in at least 15 of Iran's 31 provinces, including the capital Tehran, have been ordered to close on Wednesday in a bid to conserve water and electricity. The measure comes as temperatures in parts of southern and southwestern Iran topped 50 degrees Celsius. Government spokeswoman Fatemeh MoHajjerani said authorities would extend office closures 'if it deems necessary,' while warning of the 'critical situation' in Tehran regarding water supplies. The heat wave has been accompanied by drought, with the capital experiencing its lowest rainfall in 60 years. Water levels in the reservoirs which supply Tehran have fallen to 'their lowest level in a century,' said the Tehran Provincial Water Supply Company, advising people to use a tank and pump to cope with mains disruption. Tehran provincial governor, Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian said the dams are only filled to 14 percent, adding that the capital is going through its fifth year of drought. Many residents reported water supply cuts lasting several hours. 'It's not just the heat — there's also no electricity and no water,' said Moini, a 52-year-old housewife from Tehran. 'Our whole lives have basically fallen apart.' Many Iranian newspapers carried photographs of the low reservoir levels on their front pages on Tuesday.
