Water shortages News

Anchorage - In one Alaska village, officials are barging in jugs of water and shutting off the public water supply 12 hours each day. In another, automatic flush toilets have been switched to manual flushing, and restaurants are serving meals on paper plates.

Over half the western U.S. is currently experiencing some level of drought, reports the U.S. Drought Monitor. Sparsely populated areas in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona, in particular, are grappling with dry conditions of historic proportions.

Rivers are drying up, popular mountain recreation spots are closing and water restrictions are in full swing as a persistent drought intensifies its grip on pockets of the American Southwest.

Orlando - As the drought in central and parts of southern Florida intensifies, water is becoming scarce. On Thursday, South Florida water managers issued a water shortage warning, affecting close to 10 million residents.

A monstrous heatwave that has killed over 160 people is already compounding drought and water shortage problems in India, putting 330 million people at risk.

The South African Weather Service reported on Tuesday that the country's diverse farming sector has already been hit hard by a drought that follows on the heels of the 2014-2015 season, making it the driest since 1991-1992.

Papua New Guinea has been hit by the worst frost in over 40 years, affecting 300,000 people, as El Nino continues to wreak havoc, bringing drought and Tasmania-like temperatures to the normally tropical region.

Pyongyang - North Korea is a country full of enigmas. Isolated and repressive, and governed by a supposed much-loved dictator, little is known about what really goes on within its borders. But some things are impossible to hide, like droughts and water shortages.

A recent survey by the Royal Bank of Canada found that Canadians tackle Internet outages within hours but will take up to a week to tackle leaking faucets.

Meat-eaters may have to become vegetarians if water shortages and population growth continue. Consumption of protein from animal-based products must drop from the current 20% of the average diet to 5% in order to feed a projected 9 billion people.

Los Angeles - Most North Americans are in love with their lawns, even when those lawns suck up large amounts of resources, particularly water.

In an as-yet-unreleased report, conducted for Canada’s Department of Natural Resources more than 100 scientists detail the effects of climate change on Canada and Canadians; violent storms and water shortages possible.