Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Putting salt in tap water and drilling wells in parks: one city’s desperate quest to avoid running dry
Uruguay is a small country that lies between Brazil and Argentina. Of the 3.4 million population, nearly two million live in the metropolitan area of its capital city, Montevideo. Uruguay has a climate that is relatively mild and fairly and experiences four seasons, with summer from December to March and winter from June to September. Seasonal variations are pronounced, but extremes in temperature are rare. However, the lack of rainfall at the beginning of the year has caused a significant reduction in the availability and access to water in the country. In May, an extended drought in Uruguay forced the water-treatment plant that supplies 60% of the population to start processing and distributing brackish, non-potable water. Since two main water reservoirs have already dried up, authorities have been mixing salty water from Río de la Plata, a river that behaves as an estuary in which freshwater and seawater mix with fresh water from the reservoir to increase supplies. The tap water in the metropolitan area is now too salty to drink, even for pets.
Uruguay isn’t the only country that is vulnerable to drought. Droughts are set to become more frequent and intense in many places of the world due to climate change, better and earlier preparation is essential to avoid catastrophic water crises.
Read the article and learn about how serious the water shortage is in a small South American country.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/25/americas/uruguay-water-crisis-climate-intl/index.html
Putting salt in tap water and drilling wells in parks: one city’s desperate quest to avoid running dry
Uruguay is a small country that lies between Brazil and Argentina. Of the 3.4 million population, nearly two million live in the metropolitan area of its capital city, Montevideo. Uruguay has a climate that is relatively mild and fairly and experiences four seasons, with summer from December to March and winter from June to September. Seasonal variations are pronounced, but extremes in temperature are rare. However, the lack of rainfall at the beginning of the year has caused a significant reduction in the availability and access to water in the country. In May, an extended drought in Uruguay forced the water-treatment plant that supplies 60% of the population to start processing and distributing brackish, non-potable water. Since two main water reservoirs have already dried up, authorities have been mixing salty water from Río de la Plata, a river that behaves as an estuary in which freshwater and seawater mix with fresh water from the reservoir to increase supplies. The tap water in the metropolitan area is now too salty to drink, even for pets.
Uruguay isn’t the only country that is vulnerable to drought. Droughts are set to become more frequent and intense in many places of the world due to climate change, better and earlier preparation is essential to avoid catastrophic water crises.
Read the article and learn about how serious the water shortage is in a small South American country.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/25/americas/uruguay-water-crisis-climate-intl/index.html
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