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Road Salt Is Imperiling Aquatic Ecosystems. It Doesn't Have To.

Anne N. Connor

March 11, 2021 |

Undark |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Lake George, New York

An experiment in upstate New York showed how town officials could maintain clean and safe roads during the winter season and protect the environment. By using a salt brine before winter storms, they were able to plow the roads more efficiently and, at the same time, reduce the amount of salt going into waterways that could impact freshwater ecosystems. The effort, launched by the nonprofit FUND for Lake George, required “a culture shift within the towns’ maintenance departments,” but the communities were able to cut their salt usage in half over two years.

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The magic greenhouse

Julie Ball

March 09, 2021 |

BBC |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Somalia

A greenhouse that is cooled by seawater and the wind is allowing farmers in Somaliland to grow crops like tomatoes and vegetables despite extreme heat. By creating an environment that is higher in humidity and cooler in temperature, plants don’t need to drink as much water — almost 10 times less water because of the cooling system. There are challenges to scaling the response, but these greenhouses offer farmers the potential to increase their revenue in Africa.

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Preserve, revive, restore: Indian ponds spring back to life

Anuradha Nagaraj

March 08, 2021 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Saligao, Goa

Through a government funding program, several communities are working on initiatives to improve their access to clean drinking water. In India, one community formed a citizen’s group, cleaned up a local pond, and restored its natural water flow. Another initiative involved more than 1,000 women from 21 villages to build rainwater harvesting structures. These projects are seen as models for water conservation efforts as climate change exacerbates the country’s ongoing water crisis.

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How Newark Water Coalition Is Bringing the City Clean Water Without Plastic Waste

Emily Nonko

February 18, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Newark, New Jersey

Since it was reported that Newark’s lead levels in the city’s drinking water were higher than federal standards, the Newark Water Coalition installed a Water Box. This is a portable filtration system that removes contaminants to provide 10 gallons of clean water each minute. The organization worked with another nonprofit that implemented a Water Box in Flint, Michigan, to secure funding to install three others in the city.

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A dug solution to drought in an Indonesian village

Hartatik

February 16, 2021 |

From a Climate Correspondent |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Indonesia, Patemon, Java

Indonesian villagers were experiencing water shortages as natural springs started to dry up in part due to climate change, so they installed infiltration wells to collect and absorb rainwater. Not everyone, at first, wanted to implement the wells on their property, but by 2020, there were 320 infiltration wells in Patemon village. This water conservation project is not being implemented throughout the rest of the country.

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Egypt's farmers tap new tech to save water and boost crops

Menna Farouk

February 10, 2021 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Egypt, Samalout

A new government pilot program in Egypt is allowing farmers to use technology to tell them when their soil is dry and how much water it needs, which can aid the country as it navigates its water crisis. Sensors buried in the soil measure the ground’s moisture levels and sends the data to the user through a mobile app. The government has given 200 devices away for free, but some experts question the cost and if farmers will be comfortable with the technology. Still, one farmer says that because of the new system, she has been using 20 percent less water and her labor costs have also decreased.

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The Tribe that's Moving Earth (and Water) to Solve the Climate Crisis

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Alex Blumberg

February 04, 2021 |

Gimlet Media |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Yurok Nation, United States, Yurok Reservation, California

The Yurok Tribe is tackling climate change through the use of a carbon-offset program, sustainable forestry principles, watershed and river recovery methods, and even beaver restoration practices. Over the years, the Indigenous community has worked to restore their territory using sustainable land management initiatives and because of their efforts, they were awarded the Equator Prize from the United Nations Development Programme in 2019.

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On the Columbia River, something stirs beyond the dams

Ted Alvarez

February 02, 2021 |

Crosscut |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Colville Indian Reservation, Washington

The Grand Coulee, a 500-foot-tall dam on the Columbia River, nearly eradicated the salmon population that the Colville Tribes relied on, but the Indigenous community initiated a restoration effort to save the fish. They released by hand 100 adult Chinook salmon and scientists were able to confirm that the species was spawning on the upper part of the dam for the first time in 80 years.

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How residents are working to make Ramapuram a better place to live in

Bhavani Prabhakar

January 27, 2021 |

Citizen Matters |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Ramapuram

Active civic participation by residents and associations, such as the Ramapuram Social Welfare Federation, supports the identification of civic problems and escalation to the appropriate authorities. When the local lake, key to the city’s groundwater supply, was developed and polluted, the federation got local authorities to intervene and stop building on the lake bed. They also filed a lawsuit demanding the lake be restored and all people evicted from the area. The federation worked through official channels to covert land into a public use park and established an urban forest with rich biodiversity.

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Pakistan pins big hopes on small dams to help farmers beat drought

Imran Mukhtar

January 25, 2021 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Pakistan, Nagarparkar, Sindh

A government scheme in Pakistan involves the construction of water-harvesting dams in areas that experience droughts, which allows farmers in the region to use the irrigation water from the dams for their crops. One farmer is growing onions and wheat and because of the access to water, his income has increased more than 60 percent. There are concerns about how helpful the water from the dams will ultimately be in the arid region, but there are plans to build more dams in the next few years.

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