to
the "latest news"
18.09.08
: USA : Les eaux de barrage colonisées par des espèces
«non indigènes»
Une étude
américaine parue dans une revue éditée par
la société écologique américaine (1)
a mis en évidence aux Etats-Unis la présence et
le développement plus importants, dans les lacs de retenue
que dans les lacs naturels, d’espèces aquatiques considérées
comme «invasives».
L’équipe
de chercheurs a analysé des données concernant les
activités nautiques, la physico-chimie et la distribution
géographique de 5 espèces non indigènes (2)
dans la région des Grands lacs. 4.200 lacs naturels et
plus de 1.000 lacs de retenue dans les Etats du Wisconsin et du
Michigan ont ainsi été pris en compte, et les résultats
révèlent un risque 2,4 à 300 fois plus élevé
de présence et de développement d’espèces
«non indigènes» dans les lacs de retenue que
dans les lacs naturels.
Les chercheurs
ont également montré que les barrages ont, au cours
du temps, augmenté le risque d’ «invasion»
des lacs naturels en diminuant la distance entre les eaux «contaminées»
et ces eaux naturelles, ce qui souligne le rôle important
joué par l’homme dans l’altération des
écosystèmes. Selon le site de la revue Environmental
science and technology, l’un des auteurs de l’étude,
Pieter TJ Johnson, a indiqué que les activités de
pêche et de nautisme contribuent à l’introduction
et à la propagation des espèces non indigènes.
«Les moules zébrées s’accrochent en dessous
des bateaux, les myriophylles se cramponnent aux remorques porte-bateaux,
et les éperlans arc-en-ciel et les écrevisses rouillées
étaient auparavant utilisés comme appâts alors
qu’ils sont aujourd’hui interdits», a-t-il précisé.
(1) «Dam
invaders: impoundments facilitate biological invasions into freshwaters»,
Pieter TJ Johnson et al., Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment,
Volume 6, n°7, septembre 2008
(2) Myriophylles
d’Eurasie (plantes aquatiques), moules zébrées,
puces d’eau en hameçon, éperlans arc-en-ciel
et écrevisses rouillées
source : jdle
14.09.08
: Fertilisers linked to contaminated drinking water in Evros,
Greece
In a new study,
samples of drinking water from the north-east of Greece have been
found to exceed European limits for nitrates, sulphates and phosphates
- chemicals that are linked to health problems such as reproductive
disorders and cancer. The research has produced a map of the Evros
area showing the location of 64 water sampling sites and found
that pollution levels are highest in areas with the most intensive
agriculture. Furthermore, water can remain chronically contaminated
long after fertiliser use has been reduced.
One of the
largest agricultural areas in north-eastern Greece, the Evros
region covers over 1.5 million acres of cultivated land. Many
of its drinking water resources are derived from underground aquifers
that lie within agricultural areas.
The use of
fertilisers such as ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate and inorganic
phosphate in Greece increased dramatically from 158,724 tonnes
in 1961 to 696,000 tonnes in 1990. Globally, the use of nitrogen
and phosphorus fertilisers increased around 8 fold and 3.5 fold
respectively between 1960 and 2000. As only between 30-60 per
cent of nitrate and 45 per cent of phosphate fertilisers are taken
up by crops, a significant amount of these nutrients leaks from
agricultural fields.
Major environmental
and public health concerns arise from increasing use of fertilisers,
for example, raised nitrate levels have been linked to conditions
such as reproductive problems, cancer, the kidney disorder endemic
nephropathy and the blood disorder methemoglobinaemia. With the
introduction of the European Water Directive concerning the protection
of waters against pollution by nitrates from agricultural sources
in 19911, there has been a significant reduction in fertiliser
usage.
However, the
researchers believe this study demonstrates that aquifers in the
Evros region are still affected by chronic contamination. Tap-water
samples collected from 64 different locations were analysed for
the presence of nitrates, nitrites, ammonium, sulfate and phosphate.
In four out of 64 sites (6.25 per cent) drinking water samples
exceeded the European nitrate limit of 50 ppm, and 17.2 per cent
showed values between 25 and 50 ppm. Around 7.8 per cent of samples
exceeded the European recommended value of 5 ppm of phosphates
(EEC 1998). Sulfate levels exceeding the recommended limits of
250 ppm were found in 4.7 per cent of sampling points.
According
to the researchers, the study shows that the deterioration of
water quality in this area is directly linked to the use of agricultural
fertilisers. Levels of these pollutants in tap water have remained
high even after fertiliser use was reduced, indicating that underground
aquifers are still contaminated. The study has identified some
areas in the region not previously thought to be at risk where
drinking water is close to nitrate limits set by the European
Water Directive. The information could be used to prevent over-exposure
of the public to pollutants by regulating the supply of contaminated
water to these nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZ).
For more information on EC Directives 91/976 (EEC 1991) concerning
the protection of waters against pollution by nitrates from agricultural
sources and 80/778 (EEC 1980) relating to the quality of water
intended for human consumption visit: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-nitrates/directiv.html
Source: Nikolaidis,
C., Mandalos, P. and Vantarakis, A. (2008). Impact of intensive
agricultural practices on drinking water quality in the EVROS
Region (NE GREECE) by GIS analysis. Environmental Monitoring and
Assessment. 143(1-3): 43-50., via Science for Environment policy
Contact: avantar@med.duth.gr
27.08.08
:Switzerland : Potential for Small Hydropower Plants Recognised
The Swiss Mountain
Water Award 2008 has recognised the 60,000SWF prize to the project
localising potential locations for small environmetally friendly
hydropower plants. The use of locally-sourced water power sees
an increasing interest and families and companies are ready to
pay a higher price for this kind of electricity.
As in Switzerland
there are several mountain-like waterflows, there is potential
for more of these kind of devices. It is however quite diffiult
to establish potential locations for these plants. Netwerk Wasser
im Berggebiet has awarded the Swiss Mountain Water Award to WaterGISweb
for the project GIS-supported Identification of potential locations
for small Hydropower plants. The concept has been developed in
cooperation with Sol-E Suisse whom also gave the order for a prototype.
The award
money will be dedicated to develop a widely accessible online
instrument that facilitates identification of locations, making
use of a GIS sytem. Depending on several geographical characteristics
like the waterflow, topography and environmental considerations
or touristical destinations the computer can calculate optimal
places for powerplants with performance classes to be defined.
They can be projected in Google Earth and for every location,
a fact sheet of main information can be made available. In this
way, the starting phase that is in fact labour intensive, can
be automated importantly. For some areas, WaterGisWeb already
has a prototype and a first trial with locations in the field
with Sol-E Suisse shows that the system is already functioning
very well.
Source : European
Water News Read
more about: GIS
23.08.08
: Stockholm Semaine de l'eau : 50 % de l’eau utilisée
par l’agriculture est gaspillée
La Semaine
mondiale de l’eau, qui vient de se clôturer à
Stockholm, a été l’occasion de rappeler les
multiples enjeux liés à l’eau et le gaspillage
énorme qui en est fait, parfois même sans s’en
rendre compte.
Alors qu’au
niveau mondial, près de 2 personnes sur 10 sont privées
d’eau potable, un rapport de l’Institut international
de l’Eau (Siwi) montre ainsi que la moitié de l’eau
utilisée pour l’agriculture est gaspillée.
Si ce gaspillage peut être dû à des pratiques
agricoles non-adaptées, la principale cause tient au gâchis
énorme de nourriture qui intervient lors des phases de
transport, stockage et consommation. A titre d’exemple, aux
USA, les 30 % de nourriture gaspillés chaque année
correspondent à 40 000 milliards de litres d’eau,
soit de quoi couvrir les besoins de 500 millions de personnes.
Outre ce gaspillage
direct, l’évolution des régimes alimentaires
est également en train de peser lourdement sur les ressources
en eau planétaire. L’adoption du modèle occidental,
faisant la part belle aux produits d’origine animale (lait,
viande, etc.), les experts s’inquiètent en rappelant
que la production d’un kilo de viande de bœuf nécessite
15 500 litres d’eau. Ainsi, pour Stéphanie Blenckner,
du Siwi, "Il faut bien comprendre que ce que l’on mange,
ce que l’on achète, a des conséquences immédiates
sur les ressources en eau".
En conséquence, face à une planète qui voit
ses ressources en eau s’amenuiser parallèlement à
une population humaine en croissance, les 2 400 participants à
la Semaine mondiale de l'eau ont quitté la Suède
en appelant les gouvernements à réduire la quantité
de nourriture gaspillée d’au moins 50 % d’ici
2025, pour limiter les risques de pénurie.
source : http://www.univers-nature.com/inf/inf_actualite1.cgi?id=3314
31.07.08
: Environmental Information Portal lauched by EEA and Microsoft
The European Environment Agency (EEA) and Microsoft
have launched a new environmental information portal ‘Eye
on Earth\', displaying the latest information on the water quality
in bathing sites across Europe. Through its first application
‘Water Watch\', the new portal allows users to rate beaches
and to share their comments with others.
Bathing water information is only a first step in EEA's collaboration
with Microsoft. We will gradually expand this two-way communication
platform to include other environmental information, such as biodiversity
and air quality.
Every year,
millions of Europeans spend their summer vacations by coastal
or inland waters. The quality of the bathing water at their destination
can be a key factor in deciding where to go. Now with Eye on Earth,
holidaymakers will not only be able to check the latest information
available on the water quality at their possible destinations,
but also read comments posted by others who have already been
there.
Bathing water
information is only a first step in our collaboration with Microsoft.
EEA's Director Jacqueline McGlade annoucnes to gradually expand
this two-way communication platform to include other environmental
information, such as biodiversity and air quality.
The bathing
water application retrieves information from more than 21,000
monitoring points across Europe. For all these bathing sites,
the portal presents information from recent years. For some countries,
including Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Portugal
and Slovakia, the portal also displays the latest 2008 rating
available.
Eye on Earth
allows users to zoom in on a given section of the coast or riverbank,
both in street map or bird's eye viewing formats. A ‘traffic-light'
evaluation (red, amber, green) of water quality based on scientific
monitoring methods is supported by similar ratings reflecting
the experiences of people who have visited the bathing site.
As part of
the five-year partnership announced last May, the EEA and Microsoft
will continue to develop the Eye on Earth portal by adding new
sets of environmental information.
Website: http://www.eyeonearth.eu/
Source / Supplier: European Environmental Agency (EEA)
28.07.08
: Mediterranean area : Tourism Puts Growing Pressure on Water
Resources
During normal times, around 150 millions of people
live in the Mediterranean coastlines. In July and August, the
population explodes: around 250 millions of people converge on
the coasts, making the Mediterranean area the touristiest region
in the world. This inflow of tourists represents an essential
source of income for the concerned countries, but it applies a
growing pressure on the environment, to the extent that ecologists,
experts and elected representatives are seriously alarmed.
According
to Paolo Lombardi, director of the Mediterranean office of the
ecologist organization WWF, tourism in the next years will be
"the main factor of ecological degradation in the Mediterranean
coasts".
Tourists arrive
in summer, a moment in which water gets naturally scarcer, in
countries where this resource is already limited. Each tourist
consumes around 300 liters of water per day, which is the double
of the local population consumption (they reach 880 liters for
luxury tourism). Also the filling up of swimming pools, watering
of golf courts and green spaces need a lot of water.
Among other
attempts to find a solution to water shortages in touristy areas,
the Club Med is already putting in practice some remedies. In
the 30 villages it has built in the Mediterranean area, the Club
Med has decided to use water savers, leaks detectors and it recycles
used water.
Gaëlle
Dupont, Source:
Le Monde (article in French, more complet) Website: http://tinyurl.com/6lr9xb
28.07.08
: Le tourisme exerce une pression croissante sur les ressources
en eau des pays méditerranéens
En temps normal,
environ 150 millions de personnes vivent sur le littoral méditerranéen.
En juillet et août, la population explose : quelque 250
millions de visiteurs convergent sur les côtes, faisant
de la Méditerranée la première région
touristique au monde. Cet afflux constitue une source de revenus
indispensable pour les pays concernés, mais exerce une
pression de plus en plus forte sur l'environnement, au point qu'écologistes,
experts et élus s'en alarment. La surexploitation des ressources
en eau les inquiète particulièrement.
De 1995 à
2004, certains pays ont connu des taux de croissance annuels du
tourisme très élevés, comme la Croatie (+
20 % par an), la Syrie (+ 15,7 %), l'Egypte (+ 11,7 %), l'Algérie
et la Turquie (+ 10 %). Selon les projections effectuées
par le Plan Bleu, organisation dépendante du Programme
des Nations unies pour l'environnement (PNUE) chargée de
la Méditerranée, la fréquentation touristique
de la région pourrait atteindre 637 millions de personnes
en 2025. Pour Paolo Lombardi, directeur du bureau méditerranéen
de l'organisation écologiste WWF, le tourisme sera dans
les années à venir "le principal facteur de
dégradation écologique des côtes méditerranéennes".
Une première
conséquence saute déjà aux yeux des visiteurs
: 42 % du littoral sont bétonnés. Hôtels,
résidences secondaires, commerces et infrastructures se
concentrent sur la bande côtière, détruisant
des écosystèmes particulièrement riches.
Les embouteillages génèrent pollution atmosphérique
et gaz à effet de serre. Les ressources halieutiques, trop
sollicitées, souffrent. Les déchets, abondants,
finissent la plupart du temps en mer.
Les touristes
arrivent en été, au moment où l'eau se fait
rare, dans des pays où la ressource est déjà
limitée. "La concentration des visites, à la
fois dans le temps et dans l'espace, aggrave les situations existantes",
relève Pierre Icard, du Plan Bleu. Chaque touriste consomme
environ 300 litres d'eau par jour, soit le double des populations
locales (jusqu'à 880 litres pour le tourisme de luxe).
Le remplissage des piscines, l'arrosage des golfs et des espaces
verts réclament également beaucoup d'eau.
Dans les Cyclades,
en Grèce, la consommation d'eau estivale est de cinq à
dix fois plus élevée qu'en hiver. Cette demande,
ajoutée à la consommation locale, conduit à
une surexploitation des nappes souterraines qui entraîne
une salinisation croissante des eaux douces. L'afflux de population
contribue également à la pollution de celles-ci,
les eaux usées étant souvent rejetées sans
traitement dans le milieu naturel.
L'EXEMPLE DU CLUB MED
L'augmentation
conjointe de la population locale et de la fréquentation
touristique à venir fait craindre des conflits d'usage.
Si la demande en eau est stabilisée, voire en baisse sur
une partie de la rive nord de la Méditerranée, elle
devrait doubler en vingt ans en Turquie, en Syrie, en Libye, au
Maroc et en Algérie. La concurrence avec le secteur agricole,
principal consommateur d'eau (63 % des volumes), est redoutée.
"L'Espagne ou la Tunisie doivent déjà arbitrer
entre les différents usages, ce qui sera de plus en plus
fréquent, explique Pierre Icard. Les gains liés
au tourisme sont évidents, mais on ne calcule pas ce qu'on
perd en sécurité alimentaire, par exemple."
Certaines
solutions sont déjà mises en oeuvre. La Tunisie,
par exemple, qui accueille 7 millions de touristes par an, veut
ramener la consommation de 560 litres par lit occupé et
par jour à 300 litres. "Si nous ne maîtrisons
pas la consommation, nous aurons des problèmes d'ici une
quinzaine d'années", affirme Jean Mehdi Chapoutot,
expert en développement touristique dans ce pays.
La modernisation
des réseaux de distribution, où les fuites entraînent
le gaspillage de 30 % à 40 % de l'eau, est encouragée
financièrement par l'Etat. Les eaux issues de 45 des 75
stations de traitement du pays sont réutilisées
pour l'arrosage des terrains de golf et des jardins ou la recharge
des nappes souterraines. La réutilisation est également
très développée en Egypte et en Israël,
et elle a commencé à Chypre, en Syrie, à
Malte, en Libye et en Espagne.
La généralisation
d'appareils économiseurs d'eau pourrait permettre de diminuer
de moitié la consommation, selon l'Agence européenne
de l'environnement. Relever les tarifs est un autre levier. Mais
cela peut conduire les hôteliers à effectuer des
forages et à pomper sans contrôle dans les nappes.
"Il existe plusieurs niveaux d'action possibles : les Etats,
les collectivités, les entreprises, note Pierre Icard.
Mais dans un contexte très concurrentiel, où l'on
peut changer de destination facilement, le pouvoir des politiques
publiques est assez faible."
Pour Paolo
Lombardi, du WWF, il revient aux Etats de "fixer un cadre
qui permettra de mieux équilibrer les différents
usages du territoire, sans oublier la biodiversité".
"Mais les entreprises ont un grand rôle à jouer
; certaines avancent", ajoute-t-il.
Le Clud Med,
par exemple, dont une trentaine de villages sont implantés
en Méditerranée, utilise des économiseurs
d'eau, des détecteurs de fuites, et réutilise les
eaux usées. Selon Agnès Weil, responsable du développement
durable de l'entreprise, la sensibilisation des touristes au respect
de l'environnement est importante. "C'est un travail sur
le long terme : les statistiques ne vont pas bouger d'un coup,
mais c'est un discours que les gens sont prêts à
entendre aujourd'hui, et qui est même attendu", affirme-t-elle.
Gaëlle
Dupont Source:
Le Monde Website: http://tinyurl.com/6lr9xb
23.07.08
: France unveils plan to boost hydropower
French environment
minister Jean-Louis Borloo announced on Wednesday a plan to boost
hydropower as part of France's goal of increasing the share of
renewables in its final energy consumption to 23 per cent by 2020.
Hydropower currently represents 12 per cent of total electricity
production in France. The government wants to increase production
capacity by 30 per cent by installing more efficient turbines.
It does not propose to build more hydroelectric dams. Plant operators
will also have to take measures to increase the protection of
the aquatic environment.
source : ENDS Europe DAILY 2592, 24/07/08
-
See government press release (in French)
-
see FNE (french federation of nature conservation NGOs) pressrelease
19.06.08
: Chinese experts appeal to authorities to suspend big dam projects
in
southwest China following Sichuan's deadly earthquake
reporting
by Zhang Ke
Ran in the First Business Daily (Diyi caijing bao) on June 12,
2008
Translated by Three Gorges Probe
Experts in
geology, water conservancy, and environmental protection have
jointly appealed to authorities in Beijing to temporarily suspend
the
approval of big hydro dams in geologically unstable areas in southwest
China, in the wake of the deadly May 12 earthquake. They argue
that top
priority should be given to doing a careful and detailed investigation
of all dams and reservoirs in the disaster affected region, and
that no
more large scale dam projects should be approved before risk assessments
of reservoirs in Sichuan are completed, the First Business Daily
(Diyi
caijing bao) reported on June 12, 2008.
The experts
include Yang Yong, guest researcher at the Chengdu Institute for
Mountain Hazards and Environmental Research of the Chinese Academy
of Sciences, Fan Xiao, chief engineer of the Regional Geology
Investigation Team of the Sichuan Geology and Mineral Bureau,
Liu
Shukun, senior researcher at the China Institute for Water Conservancy
and Hydropower Planning and Design, Zheng Yisheng, senior researcher
at
the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Ma Jun, director of the
Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs, Li Dun, professor
at the
Center for Study of Contemporary China of the Qinghua University,
Liang Xiaoyan, general manager of Friends of Nature, and Wang
Yongchen, head
of the Green Earth Volunteers.
The experts
presented their arguments in a petition letter entitled "Temporarily
suspend the approval of big hydro dams in geologically
unstable areas in southwest China" at a Beijing seminar that
focused on a re-assessment of the construction of hydro dams in
southwest China
after the Longmenshan earthquake. They are planning to submit
their letter to the central government.
In their letter,
the experts appeal for five measures: a re-assessment of the seismic
intensities that southwest China's large-scale hydro dams
were designed to withstand; a re-examination of the risks posed
by the cascades of dams and reservoirs to the downstream areas
in the event of
earthquakes; studies to determine the risk that reservoirs could
induce seismic activity (RIS) in geologically unstable regions;
emergency plans
for areas affected by the May 12 earthquake and other areas where
hydro dams are built in geologically unstable zones; and, lastly,
a
re-examination of official plans to massively and intensively
develop southwest China's water resources and construct cascades
of hydro dams
throughout rivers in southwest China.
Contributor,
Ma Jun, said that while a host of problems were exposed after
the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan, the biggest one is the safety
of
hydro dams. If anything were to go wrong with dams and reservoirs
as a result of an earthquake, the casualties and property loss
would be
greater than those caused by the earthquake itself.
E Jingping,
vice-minister of the Ministry of Water Resources, said at the
State Council's news conference held on May 25, 2008 that as many
as
2,830 reservoirs were damaged by the earthquake in Sichuan, Chongqing,
Shaanxi and five other provinces. In Sichuan province alone, 69
dams are
in danger of collapse, 310 have been deemed high risk, and 1,424
pose a moderate risk.
"Because
of the rapid changes in the region's geology and the huge contrast
in the region's terrain, (Editor's note: geomorphology such as
the Tibetan Plateau juxtaposed with the Sichuan Basin) western
China is one of the regions with the richest hydropower resources
in the world,
but at the same time, it is also extremely geologically unstable,
with the highest environmental risk associated with developing
its water
resources," geologist Fan Xiao said. Mr. Fan has argued that,
far from being a region that enjoys special favours of nature
in its hydropower
resources, southwest China is challenged by its geological and
environmental dangers and risks.
According
to the experts, both Sichuan and Yunnan are the two provinces
where the most earthquakes have occurred in China. In Sichuan
alone,
there are at least eight seismic belts: the Xianshuihe River belt,
the Anninghe-Zemuhe belt, the Litang belt, the Jinsha River belt,
the
Longmenshan belt, the Songpan belt, the Mingshan-Mabian-Zhaotong
belt and the Muli-Yanyuan seismic zone. Similarly, northwest Yunnan
is also
an earthquake-prone and geologically unstable area.
Many hydro
dams have already been built and still more are planned for seismically
active, earthquake prone areas, the experts point out. "The
cascade of dams on the Dadu River (tributary of the Yangtze) have
been and will be built in the Xianshuihe seismic belt; the cascade
of dams
built on the Yalong River (tributary of the Yangtze) are really
close tothe Anninghe-Zemuhe seismic belt; the Xiluodu dam on the
Jinsha River
(main channel of the upper Yangtze) is being built in the Yongshan
seismic belt, and the dam projects proposed in the Lancang-Mekong
and Nu
rivers are located in the Three Parallel Rivers tectonic active
belt," Yang Yong said.
"Currently,
it appears that most reservoirs (in the May 12 earthquake affected
area) pose little threat because the reservoirs are nearly
empty. But the now hidden troubles will become apparent as the
flooding season approaches, the reservoirs are filled once again,
and geological
disasters start to occur," said Yang Yong.
source:
reporting by Zhang Ke Ran in the First Business Daily,via Internationalrivers
18.06.08
: WWF warns Turkey of approaching water crisis
Following a
warning by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Turkey) over Turkey's
shrinking water resources and a call on the government to take
action before it faces a severe water crisis by 2050, the administration
has revealed an action plan to save water.
Speaking to the media following yesterday's Cabinet meeting, government
spokesman Cemil Çiçek said Minister of Environment
and Forestry Veysel Eroglu had briefed the Cabinet on a five-year
action plan spanning from 2008 to 2012.
"Seven
provinces need urgent action because of decreasing drinking water
resources and 34 provinces will face a water crisis starting in
2010. The remaining 40 provinces will have enough water until
2023," he said. "Although Turkey has some of the most
important rivers of the world, it ranks low when it comes to its
water reserves," stated the WWF's report, posted by the organization's
Turkey office on its Web site. "Because Turkey has not adopted
a sustainable water administration policy at international standards,
it faces serious threats," the report further stated.
The WWF says
it is comforting to think of water as a renewable resource, but
people must also know what limitless exploitation of a resource
can lead to. People need 2.5 liters of water a day to drink, but
considering other needs such as cooking, bathing and laundry,
accepted water consumption per person is 150 liters a day. Turkey
stands at 111 liters per person per day, while industrial countries
see water consumption levels per person of 266 liters. This number
is significantly lower in Africa, where it is 67 liters per person.
The report also said that when Turkey's population reaches 80
million by 2030, annual per person water consumption in Turkey
would be 1,100 meters cubed, making it a country facing a severe
water crisis.
Meanwhile,
Environment Minister Veysel Eroglu said employing modern irrigation
techniques is one of the key ways to save water. "Agricultural
production will face more problems and there will be more water
problems both in urban and arid areas in Turkey. Almost 75 percent
of water consumption goes to agriculture in the country, and 50
percent of irrigation water is wasted. We definitely need more
controls and good water management," he said yesterday, speaking
with the Anatolia news agency.
Country/Continent.....Annual water amount available per person
(m3)
Syria 1,200
Lebanon 1,300
Turkey 1,430
Iraq 2,020
Asian average 3,000
West European average 5,000
African average 7,000
South American average 23,000
World average 7,600
Source: Today’s
Zaman
Website: http://tinyurl.com/57m99o
17.06.08
: Des normes européennes pour les eaux de surface
Une directive «fille» de la directive-cadre
sur l’eau devrait être définitivement adoptée
le 17 juin. La liste de substances prioritaires pour lesquelles
des normes de qualité sont fixées a été
au centre des débats.
Etablir des normes de qualité environnementale pour les
eaux de surface de l'Union européenne afin de limiter la
quantité de substances chimiques présentant un risque
pour l'environnement ou la santé: c’est l’objectif
de la directive dite NQE (1). Proposée en juillet 2006
et visant à l’atteinte du bon état chimique
des eaux européennes d’ici 2015 imposé par
la directive-cadre sur l’eau (DCE) de 2000, elle devrait
être adoptée le 17 juin en deuxième lecture
par le Parlement européen, après que le Conseil
a arrêté une position commune en décembre
2007. Les Etats membres devront ainsi «faire des progrès»
pour respecter les normes d’ici 2018.
plus d'information
sur http://www.journaldelenvironnement.net/fr/document/detail.asp?id=20203&idThema=2&idSousThema=11&type=JDE&ctx=259
14.05.08
: China: Troops rush to plug dam cracks
By CHRISTOPHER
BODEEN, Associated Press Writer 50 minutes ago
DUJIANGYAN,
China - Hundreds of dams around the epicenter of China's earthquake
have been damaged and Chinese troops scrambled Wednesday to plug
cracks and open sluices to prevent flooding of already devastated
communities.
The
National Development Reform Commission, China's top economic planning
body, said the earthquake had damaged 391 dams. It said two of
the dams were large ones, 28 were medium-sized and the rest were
small ones.
The
official Xinhua News Agency said 2,000 troops were sent to work
on the Zipingpu dam, which lies on about 6 miles up the Min river
from the badly damaged city of Dujiangyan in Sichuan province.
Xinhua
quoted the Ministry of Water Resources Wednesday as urging protection
of the Zipingpu reservoir, saying Dujiangyan would be "swamped"
if major problems emerged at the dam.
The
ministry had set up an emergency command center at the dam "to
discharge the reservoir's rising waters and guarantee that the
damage posed no threat to Dujiangyan and the neighboring Chengdu
Plain," Xinhua said.
By late
Wednesday, the government pronounced the dam safe."Experts
from the Ministry of Water Resources today had a complete and
concrete examination on the key sections of the dam," CCTV
said, reading a statement also posted on the Sichuan government
Web site. "After that, the expert group said the structure
was stable and safe."
However, the
sudden release of water could also damage the Dujiangyan Irrigation
System, a World Heritage Site, which is just a few miles downstream
from Zipingpu, said Aviva Imhoff, campaign director for the International
Rivers Network, an activist group that seeks to protect rivers."The
issue here is the rate at which they're draining the reservoir
and the potential impacts downstream," Imhoff said.
He Biao, the director of the Aba Disaster Relief headquarters
in northern Sichuan, said there were also concerns over dams closer
to Wenchuan, the epicenter which lies about 30 miles northwest
of Dujiangyan. "The most dangerous problems are several reservoirs
near Wenchuan," he said, according to a transcript on the
CCTV Web site.He
said problems at the Tulong Reservoir on the Min River could lead
to collapse."If
that happens, it would affect several power plants below and be
extremely dangerous," he said.
Scores of
rivers snake through mountainous Tibetan plateau before descending
into the fertile Sichuan basin where they provide critical irrigation.
Most have dams along them to help regulate seasonal floods and
to provide much needed power. Over the past few decades, China
has seen a frenzy of dam building aimed at meeting soaring demand
for power to fuel China's booming industries. Hydroelectric power
is viewed as a relatively clean alternative to the heavily polluting
coal-fired plants that are the country's mainstay source of energy.
The Zipingpu facility was put into service in 2006 but not without
opposition.
A campaign
was launched in 2001 to protest funding for Zipingpu because of
its close proximity to a fault line, said Imhoff of International
Rivers.
The group
obtained transcripts of an internal government meeting in 2000
where seismologists warned officials of the dangers of constructing
the dam and the potential for it to be damaged in an earthquake,
she said.
"The
government ignored the warnings and now we're seeing the results,"
Imhoff said.
The Three
Gorges dam, the world's largest, lies about 350 miles to the east
of the epicenter but the information office of State Council Three
Gorges Construction Committee said earlier this week that there
was no damage to the massive structure.
Source
: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080514/ap_on_re_as/china_earthquake_dam;_ylt=AqczbZUO1cixTwxBf39dTUxn.3QA
via International Rivers
more :
Go
toInternational Rivers Website with a special page dedicated to
the Zipingpu
dam
Article
"FIGARO" ( french newspaper) in french
13.05.08
: Zipingpu Hydropower plant stopped by quake
According to
the Sichuan provincial government on Tuesday morning, the Wenchuan
earthquake has caused severe cracks in the dam of the Zipingpu
Hydropower
Station. The plant and associated buildings have collapsed, and
some are partly
sunk. The whole installation is out of commission.
Located at
the junction of Dujiangyan City and Wenchuan County on the upper
Minjiang River, the Zipingpu Hydropower Plant was one of the first
10 landmark
projects of the Western Development plan. It is also the principal
project in
the province's 10th five-year plan. The station was brought into
service in
2006.
At 2:28 p.m.
on Monday an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale pounded
Wenchuan County in the Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of
Aba, Sichuan
Province, leveling some 500,000 homes in the affected areas and
leaving at
least 9,219 people dead in the eight affected provinces and municipality
including Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Yunnan, Shanxi,
Guizhou and
Hubei, the Ministry of Civil Affairs confirmed.
Source: China.org.cn
May 13, 2008),
http://www.china.org.cn/china/wenchuan_earthquake/2008-05/13/content_15201601.htm
via International Rivers
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