Waterborne Environmental, Inc.

NEWS: How Science Could Resolve Africa’s Largest Water Dispute. Researchers propose a framework for equitable sharing of the Nile’s water and hydropower resources during extended drought periods. "A new study proposes a science-based policy for operating the #NileRiver’s mega-dams during prolonged #droughts, aiming to balance Ethiopia’s need for #hydropower with Egypt’s dependence on #downstream water. The framework introduces a shared #drought metric using the Aswan High Dam’s level to reduce regional conflict and promote #sustainablewater and #energymanagement. One of the most significant resource-related tensions in the #MiddleEast and Eastern #Africa centers on the Nile River, where disputes over water access and dam operations are intensifying among #Ethiopia, #Sudan, and #Egypt. At the heart of the conflict is how upstream damming impacts each country’s share of Nile water and access to hydropower. A recent study published in?Communications Earth & Environment?offers a scientific framework for managing the Nile’s large dams during extended droughts. The goal is to strike a balance between generating sustainable hydropower and minimizing water shortages for downstream communities. The research, co-authored by Essam Heggy, co-principal investigator at the?University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering’s Arid and Water Research Exploration (AWARE), housed within the?USC Ming Hsieh Institute - Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, assesses the effectiveness of various drought-mitigation strategies for operating the Nile’s mega-dams." Read more: https://lnkd.in/ex7h_rbB #waterscience #environmentalscience

NEWS: This land swap would give 700 acres of North Florida state forest to peanut farm. Wildlife groups say the Twin Rivers State Forest land is home to protected gopher tortoises and imperiled species. "In a move that has alarmed wildlife advocacy groups, state water managers are considering a land swap that would give nearly 700 acres of North Florida state forest land to a neighboring peanut farming company. The proposal comes more than a decade after a separate peanut operation sought the same swath of Madison County land within the Twin Rivers State Forest — dubbed the Ellaville Tract — in a similar trade offer. But that deal never went through: Citing the risk to endangered species on the property, and a bustling #gophertortoise population, federal wildlife biologists urged state leaders at the time to keep the land for #conservation. “If the land being swapped is developed or unmanaged in the future, it will erode protection of several imperiled species,” the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) wrote in a December 2012 email. Today, the land’s owners, the Suwannee River Water Management District, say the Ellaville Tract was?hit hard by Hurricane Idalia?and, if it weren’t for a packaged land deal nearly four decades ago, it’s not the type of land the group would typically acquire. In exchange for the state forest land, the district would receive roughly 550 acres of Lee Peanut Farms LLC’s #farmland along the Withlacoochee River, a waterway that officials say gives the property “significantly higher” value than the high-and-dry state forest uplands being traded away." Read more: https://lnkd.in/eGxpnxpp #TwinRiversStateForest #endangeredspecies #wildlifescience #environmentalscience

NEWS: "Water constantly moves between the Earth and its atmosphere. But that system — called the hydrological cycle — is speeding up as global temperatures get hotter, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal and gas. A hotter atmosphere sucks up more water vapor from bodies of water and vegetation and soil. Over land, this atmospheric demand and loss of surface moisture leads to longer and more intense droughts, even causing some arid areas to expand. Though rain falls less often, when it does, it’s often in intense and destructive deluges. That’s because the atmosphere holds 7% more water vapor for every degree Celsius. “Basically, global warming is turning the atmosphere into a bigger sponge so it can soak up more moisture ... and then when the conditions are right for rainfall, it’s like squeezing that sponge,” said Jonathan Overpeck, a climate scientist at the University of Michigan. “You get more moisture coming out faster.”" Read more: https://lnkd.in/gVcFPDkj #climatechange #environmentalscience #waterscience #hydrologicalcycle #globalwarming

NEWS: Urgent measures are needed to address environmental contamination by veterinary antibiotics, new research suggests toxic levels of veterinary antibiotics are harming freshwater and saltwater wildlife in Europe, an in-depth analysis of toxicity data from 162 studies has revealed. "The widespread use of antibiotics in human and #veterinary medicine has led to a new class of emerging #contaminants in the #environment, as both original compounds and as substances resulting from the breakdown of #antibiotics. This new study provides insights to guide risk management and identify further research needs around the use of veterinary antibiotics. Veterinary antibiotic chemicals enter the environment through several routes: the improper disposal of drugs, ineffective treatment of #wastewater, #wastestreams from antibiotic production, and human and animal waste. Although the environmental concentrations of antibiotics are often very low, their continuous release and persistence in the environment can increase the abundance of #resistantbacteria. There are global concerns around #antimicrobialresistance (#AMR) caused by the increasing use of antibiotics, with this having been identified by the European Commission and #EU member states as one of the?top three priority health threats.? Several EU measures currently addressing AMR include?targets to reduce antibiotic consumption in humans, rules to?limit antibiotic?use in livestock and strengthened?environmental monitoring?to prevent contamination of soil and water. There are additional proposals for new EU legislation to ensure there are environmental risk assessments for all relevant pharmaceuticals and to promote more environmentally friendly products.? ? This study evaluated chronic and acute effects of veterinary antibiotics across different antibiotic classes in European #aquatic environments. Researchers identified studies containing toxicity data of veterinary antibiotics and focused on #freshwater and #saltwater #wildlife. They reviewed 162 studies and examined information on the class of drugs, group of species, duration of exposure, observed effects, lethal levels and effective concentrations (LC and EC). LC is the concentration of a substance that kills 50% of an observed sample population of a species and EC is the concentration that causes a defined effect in 50% of them." Read more: https://lnkd.in/eYQyQsNj

NEWS: On Saturday, the United Nations hosted its World Water Day 2025 and released its 2025 World Water Development Report. World Water Day kicks off a year's focus on preserving Glaciers. "The United Nations has declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, with the first World Day for #Glaciers to be held on 21 March, to raise global awareness of the critical connections between the cryosphere, #climatechange, the #watercycle, the economy, #environment and society. The term ‘cryosphere’ originates from the Greek word ‘kryos’ for frost or #ice cold. The state of the Earth’s ice and snow affects every living being. The UN proclaimed the?Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences 2025–2034?to advance scientific research of the #cryosphere as critical to understanding our climate and water cycle." Read more: https://lnkd.in/dmPq_Uq 2025 World Water Development Report, found here: https://lnkd.in/dRz2YvP9 #worldwater #environmentalscience

NEWS: UK soil breakthrough could cut farm fertiliser use and advance sustainable agriculture. Research group says discovery could lead to new type of environmentally friendly farming. "Scientists in the UK have discovered a biological mechanism that makes plant roots more attractive to soil microbes. The breakthrough – by researchers at the John Innes Centre in Norwich,?Norfolk?– opens the door to the creation of crops requiring reduced amounts of nitrate and phosphate fertilisers, they say. “We can now think of developing a new type of environmentally friendly farming with crops that require less artificial fertiliser,” said Dr Myriam Charpentier, whose group carried out the research. Excess use of fertilisers has become a major #ecological problem in recent years and has been linked to #soildegradation, while run-offs from fields are causing major #pollution in rivers where?algae blooms?spread across the water, and kill fish and other #aquaticlife. However, the research has uncovered a route that could lead to the development of crops that could reduce this problem by helping them scavenge nutrients from the soil more effectively – by gaining a little help from #soilmicrobes. The basis of this approach is a process known as #endosymbiosis, in which one organism exists within another in a mutually beneficial relationship. This activity helps some plants to scavenge nutrients from nutrient-poor soil using the assistance of microbes in natural settings. However, in #agricultural settings, where fertilisers are used to boost yields, these disrupt the natural interaction between crops and microbes." Read more: https://lnkd.in/eXCQTGse #agriculture #fertilizer #agscience #sustainableagriculture

NEWS: New substances added to the EU's surface water watchlist It contains twelve pollutants, the impacts of which have been identified as having the possibility for widespread concern for the environment and human health. "The European Commission has adopted a new watchlist of substances in #surfacewaters suspected of posing a risk to the #environment and #humanhealth. It contains twelve #pollutants, including #pesticides and #pharmaceuticals, a #sunscreen agent, and an #antioxidant used in tyres, the impacts of which have been identified as a possible widespread concern by EU Member States' experts.???? Member States will monitor the listed substances at a limited number of monitoring stations in selected representative surface waters for at least the next two years to provide data on their concentrations and environmental presence. The data will help the Commission to determine whether the substances pose a widespread risk. If they do, they will be considered for inclusion in the list of priority substances under the #WaterFrameworkDirective – which would require Member States to agree on maximum allowable threshold values for their presence in surface waters, and to take measures, if possible, at source to reduce or phase out their #emissions." Read more: https://lnkd.in/eEKtzYsa

You may know Waterborne for its many scientists, but did you know that our team includes many #engineers as well? In honor of the recent National Engineering Week, we asked several team members the most basic of questions: why did you become an engineer? Their stories may surprise you! You can find their answers here: https://lnkd.in/ehZxjY3J #nationalengineeringweek #environmentalengineers

NEWS: The World’s Lakes Are Changing Color "Lakes are a fundamental component of terrestrial ecosystems. They not only serve as habitats for countless aquatic and terrestrial species but also play a key role in #climateregulation and the supply of #drinkingwater. Their influence extends to #agriculture, ecological balance, and atmospheric humidity. However, recent studies have revealed a concerning transformation in their composition:?the color of these bodies of water is changing, which could indicate a profound alteration in their #ecological state. A team of researchers has conducted a comprehensive analysis of the chromatic evolution of more than 67,000 lakes worldwide from 1984 to the present. The study, published in the scientific journal #WaterResourcesResearch, was based on the analysis of 32 million satellite images to assess changes in water coloration and their relationship with climatic and human factors. The results were striking: only 14% of the #lakes analyzed have maintained a stable color over time, while?an alarming 60% have undergone significant modifications. Water color?is not merely an aesthetic matter; it is a direct reflection of the physical, chemical, and biological processes occurring within it.?Bluish tones?generally indicate greater water clarity and lower concentrations of dissolved organic matter, while?greenish or brown colors?may be associated with high concentrations of algae, sediments, and pollutants. According to Zheng Duan, a researcher in physical geography at Lund University and one of the study’s authors,?there is a direct correlation between color changes and the impact of #climatechange, as well as human activity. The study revealed notable differences in the chromatic evolution of lakes depending on their geographical location. In northern latitudes, such as?North America and northern Europe, lakes have shown a more pronounced change?in coloration compared to those located near the equator or in the Southern Hemisphere. Although the exact reasons for this variability are not yet fully understood, scientists suggest that precipitation patterns, temperature, and human activity may play a determining role." Read more: https://lnkd.in/ejJrXexN #environmentalscience #waterscience

NEWS: Peruvian farmer takes Germany's RWE to court in landmark climate case. "A Peruvian farmer who says German energy giant RWE's emissions have contributed to the melting of?#Andean #glaciers, increasing the #flood risk to his home, took his case to court on Monday in a hearing that could set a precedent for #climatelitigation. The case, which began a decade ago and is now being heard in Hamm in Germany,?could deliver a landmark ruling?if the court holds the company accountable for past #emissions and requires it to help fund?climate adaptation?for affected communities. Saul Luciano?Lliuya, 44, whose family grows corn, wheat, barley and potatoes in a hilly region outside Huaraz, says he has chosen to sue RWE because it is one of the biggest #polluters in Europe -- rather than any particular company projects near his home. Using data from the #CarbonMajors database of historic production from major #fossilfuel and #cement producers, Lliuya says RWE has caused nearly 0.5% of global manmade #emissions since the industrial revolution, and should cover a proportional share of the costs of the #globalwarming they have caused. RWE, which is phasing out its coal-fired #powerplants, says a single emitter of carbon dioxide cannot be held responsible for global warming. "If such a claim were to exist under German law, it would also be possible to hold every motorist liable," it said in a statement. Sebastien Duyck, senior attorney with the Center for International Environmental Law, said: "Legal experts are watching closely to understand the extent to which this is going ... to set a strong precedent." " Read more: https://lnkd.in/eYGWK3DS