Global Issues News Headlines for “Water and Development”

The Cape Water Performance-Based Bond: A New Alliance for Cape Town’s Water Future

2026-04-16T14:47:14-07:00

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 16 (IPS) - In 2018, Cape Town came perilously close to becoming the first major city in the world to run out of water. Known as “Day Zero”, it was more than just a crisis, it marked a pivotal moment. It made clear that water insecurity is not a distant threat, but an immediate reality.

Read the full story, “The Cape Water Performance-Based Bond: A New Alliance for Cape Town’s Water Future”, on globalissues.org →

Explainer: How the GEF Funds Global Environmental Action

2026-04-16T08:22:02-07:00

SRINAGAR, India, April 16 (IPS) - The Global Environment Facility, widely known as the GEF, plays a central role in financing environmental protection across the world. It supports developing countries in tackling climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, pollution, and threats to ecosystems.

Read the full story, “Explainer: How the GEF Funds Global Environmental Action”, on globalissues.org →

From Flooded to Future Ready: Why Asia Pacific Cities must Become ‘Sponges’

2026-04-13T08:00:49-07:00

BANGKOK, Thailand, April 13 (IPS) - As the Pacific recovers from a severe cyclone season and Asia braces for the monsoon, flood readiness has become a defining test of sustainable urban development.

Read the full story, “From Flooded to Future Ready: Why Asia Pacific Cities must Become ‘Sponges’”, on globalissues.org →

Artisanal Miners in Western Kenya Move Away From Mercury

2026-04-01T16:02:09-07:00

KAKAMEGA, Kenya, April 1 (IPS) - They call this land Bushiangala. Gold has been mined here for nearly a century. In 1931, colonial prospectors arrived after traces were found in the nearby Yala River, setting off a rush that changed this quiet corner of western Kenya.

Read the full story, “Artisanal Miners in Western Kenya Move Away From Mercury”, on globalissues.org →

EXCLUSIVE: Water Laureate Kaveh Madani on Arrest, Exile and Fight for Science

2026-03-25T06:44:44-07:00

UNITED NATIONS, March 25 (IPS) - Professor Kaveh Madani of Iran has been named the 2026 Stockholm Water Prize laureate. The award will be formally presented by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in August during World Water Week in Stockholm.

Read the full story, “EXCLUSIVE: Water Laureate Kaveh Madani on Arrest, Exile and Fight for Science”, on globalissues.org →

As East Africa’s Migratory Fish Vanish, a Food Security Crisis Surfaces

2026-03-24T12:10:10-07:00

RUFIJI, Tanzania, March 24 (IPS) - By the time the auction begins at Nangurukuru fish market in Tanzania’s southern Lindi region, the crisis is already visible. Wooden canoes that once returned from the Rufiji River with heavy catches now bring only a fraction of what they used to. Traders scan for the long-whiskered catfish that once defined the market but find none.

Read the full story, “As East Africa’s Migratory Fish Vanish, a Food Security Crisis Surfaces”, on globalissues.org →

Geospatial Innovations Addressing Critical Water Data Gaps in Asia

2026-03-20T06:29:54-07:00

BANGKOK, Thailand, March 20 (IPS) - Across Asia, new initiatives are showing how satellite Earth observation data and AI-powered technologies can turn fragmented water-related data into actionable insights for managers and policymakers in line ministries and local governments.

Read the full story, “Geospatial Innovations Addressing Critical Water Data Gaps in Asia”, on globalissues.org →

Where Water Doesn’t Flow, Equality Doesn’t Grow – Challenging Global Patriarchy this World Water Day

2026-03-19T17:59:30-07:00

BRIGHTON, UK, March 19 (IPS) - The 2026 campaign on World Water Day’s focuses on Water and Gender – ‘where water flows, equality grows’ . While substantial progress has been achieved across a range of gender indicators spanning education, health and public participation, the situation around WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) is still marked by deep inequalities with women and girls disproportionately affected – and this reflects the persistence of global patriarchy.

Read the full story, “Where Water Doesn’t Flow, Equality Doesn’t Grow – Challenging Global Patriarchy this World Water Day”, on globalissues.org →

80 Percent of Rural Households Without Direct Water Access – World Water Report

2026-03-19T10:45:27-07:00

NEW YORK & SRINAGAR, India, March 19 (IPS) - A new United Nations report has warned that global water inequality remains one of the most pressing development challenges of the decade, with billions still lacking safe drinking water and sanitation – while women and girls continue to bear the heaviest burden of water insecurity.

Read the full story, “80 Percent of Rural Households Without Direct Water Access – World Water Report”, on globalissues.org →

As Glaciers Melt, the World’s Hidden Water Banks Are at Risk

2026-02-12T16:09:54-08:00

ROME, February 12 (IPS) - Glaciers – the world’s hidden water banks – are a source of life for billions. The seasonal melt from mountains and glaciers sustains some of the world’s most important rivers, such as the Indus, the Nile, the Ganges and the Colorado. Those and other mountain-fed rivers irrigate crops, provide drinking water for nearly two billion people, and power electricity generation.

Read the full story, “As Glaciers Melt, the World’s Hidden Water Banks Are at Risk”, on globalissues.org →