Americas

UNITED STATES - Stephen R. Carpenter, Professor of Zoology and Limnology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, will receive the 2011 Stockholm Water Prize. Professor Carpenter's ground breaking research has shown how lake ecosystems are affected by the surrounding landscape and by human activities. His findings have formed the basis for concrete solutions on how to manage lakes. Professor Carpenter, 59, is recognised as one of the world's most influential environmental scientists in the field of ecology. By combining theoretical models and large-scale lake experiments he has reframed our understanding of freshwater environments and how lake ecosystems are impacted by humans and the surrounding landscape. He warns against reaching a state of "peak-phosphorus" production in the world - and much of this phosphorus is going to waste. How will this affect the ecological state of waters around the world? 

UNITED STATES - Every year, 80 million more people populate the planet. And 90 per cent of that growth is occurring in regions already facing water stress. In the U.S, the trend is similar: 4 out of 5 of the fastest growing urban areas are located in some of the most water short states in the country, such as California, Texas, Florida, Nevada and Arizona. By 2050, Phoenix will double in population. With more people and less water, how will cities plan for their future growth? Find out what they are thinking at the Week.

UNITED STATES - Throwing away good food? Perhaps, your grandmother would have found it unacceptable, but today more and more of us do it without thinking twice. The United States spends about 1 billion dollars a year just to dispose of food that has not been consumed. Some estimates say that as much as half of the food produced in America is discarded. Considering that agriculture uses 70 per cent of all freshwater, food waste represents an enormous misuse of a resource that in many places is already in short supply. A diet of burgers, milkshakes, and jumbo-size portions - of which much ends up in garbage bins - will run us dry. Can we find a recipe to feed everyone?

UNITED STATES - Over 40 per cent of global electricity production comes from coal, and all that energy requires lots of water. A fifth of all the water consumed in China is used for coal production, and most of that water comes from its driest areas. In the U.S, one-tenth of all water not used in agriculture goes to cool coal. New coal technologies, such as coal-to-fuels and coal-to-chemicals, double the water intensity of production. With many of the largest coal reserves in dry places, like the Western U.S., Northern China, Australia and India, water and energy conflicts present many places with some tough decisions.

Glaciers are melting in Peru. Honduras is experiencing droughts. Mexico is suffering from floods, and around the entire Latin American continent, sea-levels are rising. Climate change is here, and Latin America is getting the full share of it. What are they doing to prepare for a future of uncertainty?

In 1992, 172 governments and thousands of NGO delegates and media representatives gathered at Earth Summit, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio. The event was unprecedented for a UN conference, in terms of both its size and the scope of its concerns, and the outcomes have shaped environmental awareness and policy to date. Next year, Rio will once again be the centre of environmental attention. Rio +20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, aims to renewed political commitment for sustainable development and address new and emerging challenges. What messages does the water community have to send to this forum?