Focus Water | reports

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Water
Hotspots

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South America is home to 33 per cent of the world’s water resources. In theory, this should be enough to supply its 422 million inhabitants with this elixir of life. Yet water is one of the most unevenly distributed, contentious and poorly managed resources.

The Cerrado

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Spanning 45 million years of history, the Cerrado is the oldest savannah region in north-eastern Brazil. It is also a vital ecosystem for South America's water resources.

Eucalyptus & steel industry

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The Brazilian government under Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has slowed down the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. However, other ecosystems are being destroyed as a result. For instance, eucalyptus monocultures grown for steel production are depleting water supplies for the population in the savannah of central Brazil. Europe also benefits from this.

Save the Rio Pardo

How and why it is so difficult to protect a river in its entirety, and what its demise, destruction means for whole regions, we report in our video coverage of the Rio Pardo in Brazil.

Killer Dams

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Although dams are often regarded as a source of 'clean energy', in the Amazon region they cause significant conflicts with serious consequences for nature and local communities. Here, we report on the disputes surrounding the Belo Monte and Jirau/Samuel projects in Brazil.

Disputed River Diversion

The north-east of Brazil has suffered from years of drought, but smallholders have developed techniques to cope with this. However, the agro-business sector is seeking to acquire large tracts of land, prompting the government to divert the course of the São Francisco River. Our report sheds light on these different approaches.

Receding Glaciers

In the Peruvian Andean highlands, water shortages or surpluses are often caused by melting glaciers due to climate change. However, solutions proposed by development organisations often fail to consider the traditional mindset of the indigenous population.

Fog Catchers

Water is often in short supply in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. Although fog collectors have developed an innovative and cost-effective method, politicians in the capital, Santiago, are showing little interest.

Rice versus Swamp

The term 'water grabbing' describes situations in which companies or wealthy individuals lay claim to water sources that are lacking for local residents or threaten nature reserves, in the name of progress.

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