World Russia to fund Iran ’ s water projects
Russia has opened a USD5-billion credit line to invest in Iran ’ s plans to develop its water resources , Iran ’ s semi-official Mehr news agency reports .
The two countries have been cooperating on projects to explore and exploit deep-water resources in the country , and an earlier agreement on the projects included the allocation of a credit line by Russia .
A portion of the credit line will be utilised for joint exploration activities in the deep waters of Iran , with the exploration project expected to cost USD250-million .
Iran and Australia also recently signed a memorandum of understanding on water management and optimal utilisation of water resources . Iran signed a similar agreement with South Africa in April to co-operate on water resources management .
A recent study by the World Resources Institute ranks Iran as the world ’ s 24th most water-stressed nation . u
Dubai Water Canal nears completion
The Dubai Water Canal — one of the city ’ s biggest projects — is expected to be completed in November , says Dubai ’ s transport authority .
According to the Roads and Transport Authority , final touches to the USD545-million project are under way in preparation for its official opening .
Once completed , the Dubai Water Canal will be 6m deep and will be crossed by 8m-high bridges , with new public places and facilities surrounding the canal . It will also boast a shopping centre , four hotels , 45 restaurants , luxury housing , walkways and cycle paths . Modern water transport will serve the waterfront , resulting in improved quality of water in the Dubai Creek . u
Water and environment library shelf campaign unveiled
The Water Research Commission ( WRC ) recently partnered with the Outlook Foundation to launch a campaign aimed at raising awareness about the water and environmental issues that affect most communities .
The partnership entails sharing the latest water research studies with South Africa ’ s municipal libraries and Thusong Centres , offering specific information relevant to the towns , cities and catchments in which these information centres are situated . This campaign aims to feed community centre shelves continually with water and environment knowledge resources .
The need for this resource has become more urgent as South Africa faces severe water shortages , which are further exacerbated by extreme weather events associated with climate change , such as droughts and floods . Through this intervention , knowledge generated by current water research will be made easily accessible for the benefit of communities and decision-making authorities .
Dr Curtis Mabena , director of transformation at the Department of Water and Sanitation , notes , “ We forget that we are drinking water that comes from our sewage systems . If you see people dumping rubbish in our rivers , dams and drainage systems , you should be concerned because you are going to drink that water one day .”
Mabena further stresses that people are disposing hazardous objects such as soiled baby nappies , sanitary products , dead animals , human excrements and foetuses within the environment , unaware that the very same water will be processed , chemically cleaned , and returned for reuse , including human consumption . u
Hundreds of thousands take part in clean-up
Hundreds of thousands of volunteers around the world recently participated in Ocean Conservancy ’ s 31st International Coastal Cleanup to stem the tide of trash entering the ocean .
“ Marine debris is a serious concern for the health of our ocean ,” says Allison Schutes , senior manager for Ocean Conservancy ’ s Trash Free Seas Programme . “ Fortunately , this is a problem that we can solve , and through our International Coastal Cleanup we get a glimpse of the impact of this global community that is working for a future of trash free seas .”
The International Coastal Cleanup is the world ’ s largest single-day volunteer effort to remove trash from local waterways , beaches , lakes and rivers . This year , volunteers used Ocean Conservancy ’ s Clean Swell app ( available for free download from the App Store and Google Play ) to document every piece of trash collected for the Ocean Trash Index : the world ’ s largest database on marine debris . In the past three decades , more than 225 million items of trash have been logged and removed from our beaches and waterways by more than 11.5 million volunteers .
Marine debris is harmful to marine environments and wildlife , especially marine plastic debris , which has been documented as harming nearly 700 species of wildlife . Every year , an estimated eight-million tonnes of plastic waste flows into the ocean , and at least 80 % of ocean plastic originates from land-based sources . Without concerted global action , there could be 1t of plastic for every 3t of finned fish by 2025 , leading to significant environmental , economic and health issues . u
8 Water Sewage & Effluent November / December 2016