State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

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  • Removing Dams and Restoring Rivers

    Removing Dams and Restoring Rivers

    On Sept. 17, 2011, the removal of two large hydroelectric dams on the Elwha River in Washington State, which have blocked migrating salmon from reaching their spawning grounds for almost 100 years, will begin. While this is the largest dam removal project in U.S. history, it is just one of several major dam removals planned…

  • The Push to Dam China’s Rivers

    The Push to Dam China’s Rivers

    China already has half the world’s large hydroelectric dams (25,800), but along the Yangtze River and its tributaries, 100 large dams are either being planned or built and 43 additional dams are in the works.

  • Water and Energy Conflict in Central Asia

    Water resources management in the Central Asia region faces formidable challenges. The hydrological regimes of the two major rivers in the region, the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya, are complex and vulnerable to climate change. Water diversions to agricultural, industrial and domestic users have reduced flows in downstream regions, resulting in severe ecological damages.…

  • Dam Break in Northeast Brazil: Can We Blame Global Warming?

    Nordeste, the driest region in Brazil, has been castigated by heavy rainfall in the last two months. Yesterday a dam broke in the state of Piaui killing at least four people. The video below shows a partial bridge that collapsed after the dam break. The media shows every day more and more news about natural…

  • Removing Dams and Restoring Rivers

    Removing Dams and Restoring Rivers

    On Sept. 17, 2011, the removal of two large hydroelectric dams on the Elwha River in Washington State, which have blocked migrating salmon from reaching their spawning grounds for almost 100 years, will begin. While this is the largest dam removal project in U.S. history, it is just one of several major dam removals planned…

  • The Push to Dam China’s Rivers

    The Push to Dam China’s Rivers

    China already has half the world’s large hydroelectric dams (25,800), but along the Yangtze River and its tributaries, 100 large dams are either being planned or built and 43 additional dams are in the works.

  • Water and Energy Conflict in Central Asia

    Water resources management in the Central Asia region faces formidable challenges. The hydrological regimes of the two major rivers in the region, the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya, are complex and vulnerable to climate change. Water diversions to agricultural, industrial and domestic users have reduced flows in downstream regions, resulting in severe ecological damages.…

  • Dam Break in Northeast Brazil: Can We Blame Global Warming?

    Nordeste, the driest region in Brazil, has been castigated by heavy rainfall in the last two months. Yesterday a dam broke in the state of Piaui killing at least four people. The video below shows a partial bridge that collapsed after the dam break. The media shows every day more and more news about natural…