• Advertise
  • Contact us
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Inside Reports
Advertisement
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Health
  • Data Report
  • Investigation & Features
  • BBN Update
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Health
  • Data Report
  • Investigation & Features
  • BBN Update
No Result
View All Result
Inside Reports
No Result
View All Result
Home News Foreign

The world’s rivers are drying up in drought and heat. Here’s how 6 look from space

August 20, 2022
in Foreign
0
The world’s rivers are drying up in drought and heat. Here’s how 6 look from space
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Raddit

A painful lack of rain and relentless heat waves are drying up rivers in the US, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Many are shrinking in length and breadth. Patches of riverbed poking out above the water are a common sight. Some rivers are so desiccated, they have become virtually impassable.

The human-caused climate crisis is fueling extreme weather across the globe, which isn’t just impacting rivers, but also the people who rely on them. Most people on the planet depend on rivers in some way, whether for drinking water, to irrigate food, for energy or to ship goods.

See how six of them look from space.

The Colorado River is drying up at its banks and thinning out, as a historic drought in the US West shows little sign of abating. The river is crucially maintained by two of the country’s largest reservoirs, and to safeguard the river basin, the government has implemented mandatory water cuts and asked states to come up with additional action plans.
One of those reservoirs, Lake Mead, is shrinking in size as water levels drop toward “dead pool” status — the point at which the reservoir won’t be high enough to release water downstream through a dam. Its water levels have been on a downward trend since 2000, but have had a sharper drop since 2020. The lake has dropped so low in the past year that wild discoveries have been made, including human remains in a barrel — a suspected homicide victim from decades ago. And the consequences of the Colorado River crisis are enormous: Around 40 million people in seven states and Mexico rely on the river’s water for drinking, agriculture and electricity.

The Yangtze River

The Yangtze River in Asia is drying up at its banks and its bed is emerging in some areas. But it’s the Yangtze’s tributaries that are already intensely parched. China has announced a nationwide drought alert for the first time in nine years, and its heat wave is its longest in six decades.
The impact of the drying Yangtze has been enormous. In Sichuan, a province of 84 million people, hydropower makes up about 80% of electricity capacity. Much of that comes from the Yangtze River, and as its flow slows down, power generation has dwindled, leaving authorities there to order all its factories shut for six days. The province is seeing around half the rain it usually does and some reservoirs have dried up entirely, according to state news agency Xinhua.

The Rhine River

The Rhine starts in the Swiss Alps, flows through Germany and the Netherlands and then flows all the way out to the North Sea. It’s a crucial channel for European shipping, but right now, it’s a nightmare to navigate.

Parts of the river’s bed have emerged above the water’s surface, meaning the ships that do try to pass it must weave around a series of obstacles, slowing the entire process.

The Rhine has many different gauges along the way, including in Kaub, just west of Frankfurt, Germany, where water levels have fallen to as low as 32 centimeters (12.6 inches). Shipping companies generally consider anything less than 40cm on the Rhine too low to bother with, and in Kaub, less than 75cm usually means a container ship has to reduce its load to about 30%, according to Deutsche Bank economists. Low water levels also mean companies pay higher levees to pass, and all these factors make shipping more expensive, a cost usually passed on to consumers.

The River Po

The River Po cuts right across the top of Italy and flows out east into the Adriatic Sea. It’s fed by winter snow in the Alps and heavy rainfall in the spring, and has a steep fall that brings a fast flow. Typically, devastating floods are more of a problem around this river.
But now, the Po looks very different. Winter was dry in northern Italy, so snow provided little water, and spring and summer have been dry, too, plunging the region into the worst drought its experienced for seven decades. It’s so dried up that a World War II-era bomb was recently found amid its dwindling waters.

A big problem is that millions of people rely on the Po for their livelihood, mostly through agriculture. Around 30% of Italy’s food is produced along the Po, and some of the country’s most famous exports, like Parmesan cheese, is made here.

The Loire River

The Loire in France sustains a valley of vineyards that produce some of the world’s most famous wines. The river stretches over around 600 miles and is considered France’s last wild river, supporting biodiverse ecosystems throughout the valley, much of which is protected by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Parts of the river are fairly shallow already, but its levels and flow can change rapidly with the weather and as snow at its source melts. Some sections are so dried out from the lack of rain and extreme heat that people can cross by foot.

Satellite images from the French town of Saumur show more riverbed than water exposed in the Loire. The patches of land around it in the valley are mostly brown and withered — a year ago, they were a lush and green. Authorities are releasing water from dams into the river, mostly to ensure there is enough to cool four nuclear power plants that sit along it.

The Danube River

The Danube is Western Europe’s longest river and a crucial shipping channel that passes through 10 countries. In Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria, workers are dredging the river just to ensure vessels can still navigate it.

It’s not in as dire a condition as some of Europe’s other rivers, but countries like Hungary are so reliant on the Danube for tourism, the impacts are already being felt. Some cruise ships have been unable to pass parts of the river to even reach Hungary. Those that are still running can’t stop on their normal routes because so many stations have had to close as water levels on river banks fall. An average 1,600-ton vessel can now only navigate the Hungarian stretch without any cargo, according to the country’s tourist board.

CNN’s Julia Buckley, Laura He, Angela Fritz and Rachel Ramirez, as well as journalist Barbie Nadeau, contributed to this report.



Source link

FREE SUBSCRIPTION

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

ShareTweetShareShare
Previous Post

I want to liberate Ebonyi – APGA gov candidate

Next Post

Harry Maguire-Christian Pulisic swap between Chelsea and Manchester United could be a summer shock

Editor

Editor

RelatedNews

How Russia misread Germany's growing influence
Foreign

How Russia misread Germany's growing influence

January 30, 2023
Foreign

How the Museum of Chinese in America bounced back from a harrowing fire

January 29, 2023
Novak Djokovic beats Stefanos Tsitsipas to win 10th Australian Open title
Foreign

Novak Djokovic beats Stefanos Tsitsipas to win 10th Australian Open title

January 29, 2023
Nadhim Zahawi fired as UK Conservative Party chairman over tax scandal
Foreign

Nadhim Zahawi fired as UK Conservative Party chairman over tax scandal

January 29, 2023
January 28, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news
Foreign

January 28, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news

January 29, 2023
Tyre Nichols arrest video and Memphis police news
Foreign

Tyre Nichols arrest video and Memphis police news

January 28, 2023
Next Post
Harry Maguire-Christian Pulisic swap between Chelsea and Manchester United could be a summer shock

Harry Maguire-Christian Pulisic swap between Chelsea and Manchester United could be a summer shock

Abia to establish family, gender-based violence courts – Ikpeazu

Ikpeazu shocked over killing of soldier, gunmen

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Video: Controversial Cross Dresser, James Brown's Sex Tape Leaks

Video: Controversial Cross Dresser, James Brown’s Sex Tape Leaks

October 10, 2022
VIEWER DISCRETION: More Videos of Fed Uni Lafia Lecturer Striping and Beating Student Over Sugar Daddy

VIEWER DISCRETION: More Videos of Fed Uni Lafia Lecturer Striping and Beating Student Over Sugar Daddy

October 22, 2022
Wife of celebrity designer Seyi Vodi attacks alleged side chic, strips her naked (Video)

Wife of celebrity designer Seyi Vodi attacks alleged side chic, strips her naked (Video)

October 1, 2022
Update: Why Police Released Six Davido's Workers, Detained Two Arrested Over Ifeanyi's Death

Update: Why Police Released Six, Detained Two Davido’s Workers Arrested Over Ifeanyi’s Death

November 2, 2022
Video: Controversial Cross Dresser, James Brown's Sex Tape Leaks

Video: Controversial Cross Dresser, James Brown’s Sex Tape Leaks

1
Video: Lady weeps bitterly over alleged demise of Davido’s son, Ifeanyi

Video: Lady weeps bitterly over alleged demise of Davido’s son, Ifeanyi

1
Wizkid announces joint tour with Davido

Wizkid announces joint tour with Davido

1

NGX committed to building structures towards SMEs funding

0
Attacks on PDP members won’t stop Lagos APC defeat – Chairman

Attacks on PDP members won’t stop Lagos APC defeat – Chairman

January 31, 2023
AfDB plans $1.5bn food  facility for Nigeria, others

AfDB plans $1.5bn food facility for Nigeria, others

January 30, 2023
US Soccer announces program to ensure player safety

US Soccer announces program to ensure player safety

January 30, 2023
New NYSC DG takes charge, unveils five-point agenda

New NYSC DG takes charge, unveils five-point agenda

January 30, 2023

Recent News

Attacks on PDP members won’t stop Lagos APC defeat – Chairman

Attacks on PDP members won’t stop Lagos APC defeat – Chairman

January 31, 2023
AfDB plans $1.5bn food  facility for Nigeria, others

AfDB plans $1.5bn food facility for Nigeria, others

January 30, 2023
US Soccer announces program to ensure player safety

US Soccer announces program to ensure player safety

January 30, 2023
New NYSC DG takes charge, unveils five-point agenda

New NYSC DG takes charge, unveils five-point agenda

January 30, 2023
Inside Reports

Inside Reports is a Nigerian media outlet aiming to advance democracy through disseminating credible news. In the era of fake news and infodemic, Inside Reports is the online media outlet to go to in search of credible, verifiable and factual news.

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • AFRICAN NEWS
  • Basketball
  • BBN Update
  • Business
  • Campus gist
  • Celebrity gossip
  • Climate & Environment
  • Crime
  • Crypto
  • Data Report
  • Education
  • English premier league
  • Entertainment
  • Featured
  • Football
  • Foreign
  • Gadget
  • Golf
  • Health
  • Investigation & Features
  • Jobs
  • Laliga
  • Mobile
  • Movies
  • Music
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Sure betting odds
  • Technology
  • Tennis
  • TRENDING VIDEO
  • Uncategorized
  • Video

Recent News

Attacks on PDP members won’t stop Lagos APC defeat – Chairman

Attacks on PDP members won’t stop Lagos APC defeat – Chairman

January 31, 2023
AfDB plans $1.5bn food  facility for Nigeria, others

AfDB plans $1.5bn food facility for Nigeria, others

January 30, 2023
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy

© 2022 Inside Reports - All Rights Reserved .

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sports
    • Football
      • English premier league
      • Laliga
    • Basketball
    • Golf
    • Tennis
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Campus gist
  • Crime
  • Entertainment
    • BBN Update
    • Celebrity gossip
  • Music
  • Video
  • Health
  • Technology
    • Gadget
      • Mobile
  • Investigation & Features
  • Climate & Environment
  • Data Report
  • Jobs
  • Sure betting odds

© 2022 Inside Reports - All Rights Reserved .

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist