Conservation, Water in the News, World
Summer Water Report
Sep
Effluent Report
Water in the News
Summer Water Report
It’s been a busy summer for the aquatic world, with a steady stream of headlines filling our inboxes with informative media. While experts are finding interesting ways to solve environmental problems, governments are coming to environmental agreements, and some aquatic habitats are cleaner than they’ve been in decades. Unfortunately, there are many backward steps thrown into the mix. We’ve seen remarkable technological advances in many areas, excellent scientific studies, and numerous governments funding cleanup and rehabilitation projects, but there have also been multiple setbacks and disagreements on new environmental laws.
Here are some highlights from this summer’s water news:
07/17/2025 Innovative Solution for Sabah Villages
The United Nations Environment Programme posted a technical highlight on their successful sanitation solution for the floating coastal villages of Sabah.
ACT Malaysia partnered with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme to improve wastewater services with the installation of multiple small independent sewage treatment plants.
07/24/2025 Memorandum of Understanding
On July 24, the US EPA Press Office posted a press release announcing a new agreement between the The United States and Mexico to end the Tijuana River sewage crisis.
Both nations agreed to expedited timelines.
The United States released funds for construction of a sewage pump station and agreed to complete a wastewater treatment plant expansion.
Mexico agreed to allocate funds to meet certain deadlines while working to fund effluent divergent projects and sewage line rehabilitation.
08/19/2025 Schedule for Offshore Energy Leasing
The US Dept. of the Interior rolled out a schedule for offshore oil and gas lease sales to unleash the country’s energy potential and strengthen its energy dominance.
The schedule includes six leases in Alaska’s Cook Inlet and thirty-plus leases in the Gulf of America.
08/19/2025 Next Generation Tsunami Forecasts?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released an August 28 article describing three decades of research that led to the precise forecast of the tsunami caused by the July 29 magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka, Russia.
Tsunami waves were detected by buoys from NOAA’s National Weather Service DART tsunami detection system, which allowed for an extremely accurate forecast.
08/22/2025 Long-term Impacts of Extreme Weather
https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/08/long-term-community-impacts-extreme-weather-disaster
Stanford University’s Stanford Report posted an article by professor Solomon Hsiang on the lasting results of extreme weather and natural disasters.
Extreme weather events can slow economies and increase death rates for many years, with early deaths possibly being attributed to financial problems.
08/27/2025 Lakes on the Decline
The United Nations Environment Programme posted an article on the decline of lakes around the world and how we may be able to deal with it.
Many of Earth’s lakes are running dry, while others are being overfilled to the point where they could burst.
The hydrological cycle is being destabilized by climate change, while pollution is a growing threat that must be addressed.
(UNEP)
08/27/2025 New Hunting and Fishing Access
https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-expands-hunting-and-fishing-access-refuges-and-hatcheries
An August 27, a U. S. Department of the Interior press release announced forty-two new hunting and fishing opportunities within National Wildlife Refuge and National Fish Hatchery lands managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
09/02/2025 Strengthening Capacities for Water Security
The International Union for Conservation of Nature released an article on their
Building River Dialogue and Governance (BRIDGE) initiative and the Mediterranean Alliance for Wetlands.
BRIDGE supports proper water management practices in communities that share river basins.
The Mediterranean Alliance for Wetlands is a network of research institutions and conservation organizations united for wetland and river conservation.
09/02/2025 Migratory Bird Status Reports
https://www.fws.gov/story/migratory-bird-annual-status-reports
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service posted a press release on September 2 with information on their various annual migratory bird status reports.
The post provided statistics and links to adaptive management reports, breeding pair surveys, population studies, and habitat surveys.
09/03/2025 Fed Funds to NC to Rebuild from Helene
On September 3, the US EPA Press Office announced additional funding of $337 million for North Carolina to aid in rebuilding following Hurricane Helene.
The funds were allocated to a variety of infrastructure improvements, including work to improve septic system resiliency, connecting homes to a centralized sewer system, managing solid waste, and low interest loans with potential forgiveness of principle.
Stay tuned for the next installment of Water in the News!
Thanks for reading!
