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Water

Water sustains life on Earth but is a finite resource. As freshwater supplies run out, this can risk water security, endanger ecosystems and even fuel conflict.

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All Content on this topic

Residents collect water from a tap in Mukuru slums within the Industrial area district, in Nairobi, Kenya.

Africa could gain from turning sewage into drinking water

Direct potable reuse involves treating waste water to turn it into drinking water. A solution for Africa?
Nature and EnvironmentMarch 21, 202401:18 min
A girl carries a bottle of water in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah.

Israel-Hamas conflict is also a war over water

Problems around water in the Palestinian territories are not new, but the current conflict is making them worse.
ConflictsMarch 21, 2024
DW Eco Africa (Sendungslogo mit Partnerlogos englisch)

Eco Africa — The Environment Magazine

Water management in rural Ghana, upcycled solar lamps in Zimbabwe and the Kenyan TV show that’s changing farming.
Food SecurityMarch 21, 202426:06 min
Nordzypern Werbung auf Russisch für den Verkauf von Immmobilen

Focus on Europe – Spotlight on People

Many Iranians and Russians are buying apartments in Northern Cyprus – to avoid sanctions.
SocietyMarch 21, 202426:05 min
DW Projekt Zukunft | Tomorrow Today (PZ) Sendung

How harmful are forever chemicals?

In the US, PFAS have been phased out of all fast-food packaging. Just how toxic are these forever chemicals?
ScienceMarch 15, 202401:56 min
DW Projekt Zukunft | Tomorrow Today (PZ) Sendung

How much microplastic is in waterbodies?

Scientist Roman Lehner sails the globe to collect data on how much plastic is in the world's seas, lakes and rivers.
ScienceMarch 11, 202404:51 min
A woman crosses a street after clashes between police and gunmen at the Portail neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024.

Haiti: Gang violence triggers food and water shortages

Caribbean nations commit to addressing Haiti crisis amid spiraling gang violence. The gangs urge Haiti PM's resignation.
ConflictsMarch 10, 202401:34 min
A dried up maize field in Malawi

More drought across sub-Saharan Africa

Government subsidies can help smallholding farmers in Africa only so much, with demand for novel solutions increasing.
Food SecurityMarch 4, 2024
DW Podcast | Science Unscripted

Weekly roundup — Dark waters

An email sends us to the lakes of Latvia — and to honor victims of genocide it's important to talk about how it happens.
ScienceMarch 3, 202430:00 min
DW Eco India (Sendungslogo Composite)

How can we protect precious aquatic life?

Reviving a river in West Bengal. Sustainable seafood in Tamil Nadu. And collecting data in Spain.
Nature and EnvironmentFebruary 29, 202426:06 min
Videostill | Tomorrow Today / Projekt Zukunft | Klimawandel hörbar

The sound of the ground - forests and climate change

Global warming remains an abstract idea for many. A research team is working to make climate change in forests audible.
ScienceFebruary 27, 202407:08 min
Two Palestinian youths use a makeshift wheeled cart to haul water in Rafah

Aid agencies concerned about Gaza water supplies

In the city of Rafah, over a million displaced Palestinians are struggling to access even the basic needs for survival.
ConflictsFebruary 21, 202401:55 min
A group of workers use wheelbarrows to help them build sand dams

Kenya: Can sand dams fix drought and flooding?

In rural Kenya, communities are building sand dams that store and filter rainwater for use as drinking water and for far
ScienceFebruary 21, 202404:47 min
Man welding iron

Bleak economy, but innovation

German companies are suffering from high energy costs. But also successfully innovating.
BusinessFebruary 19, 202426:06 min
Vorschaubilder - Projekt Zukunft - Schwammstadt

How sponge cities cut flooding and retain vital rainwater

In Germany, Hamburg wants to become a ‘sponge city’ by working with nature to retain and reuse rainwater.
ScienceFebruary 19, 202405:57 min
Oceana water part at Liseberg amusement park, Gothenburg, Sweden

Swedish water park fire still burning after 3 days

One person is still missing as a result of the fire, which began on Monday.
CatastropheFebruary 14, 2024
A UN representative speaks at a rural townhall meeting

Pursuing the UN Sustainable Development Goals in Guinea

A UN "Accelerator Lab" is addressing Guinean villagers' needs, using inventions gathered from all over the world.
Nature and EnvironmentFebruary 9, 202404:50 min
A conservationist plants trees with local children.

The volunteer rescuing a forest from drought in Libya

Hussein bin Sassi has devoted his life to reforestation. Now he not only plants trees but also waters them.
Nature and EnvironmentFebruary 9, 202402:00 min
A young woman smiling on street, bundled up against the cold

Superfood from India—water lily pops

A young entrepreneur is conquering German supermarkets with a new snack from India—water lily pops.
HealthFebruary 9, 202404:46 min
Volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula, Iceland

Iceland: Reykjanes volcano erupts, cuts off hot water

Lava fountains reached 80 meters high, and the volcanic plume rose about three kilometers above the fissure.
Nature and EnvironmentFebruary 8, 2024
77_Hairmat_Bild

Kenya community turning harmful hair extensions into carpets

Discarded synthetic hair extensions is an environmental hazard. A community in Kisumu found a way to repurpose them.
Nature and EnvironmentFebruary 8, 202401:45 min
Fußball Afrika Cup (AFCON) 2024 I Südafrika vs Kap Verde

AfricaLink on Air - 7 February 2024

Nigeria's minimum wage comes under review +++ AFCON Semi-finals
PoliticsFebruary 7, 202429:55 min
A desert in Pakistan's Sindh province with cattle resting in the sand

Pakistan's unusually dry winter threatens food supply

With an unusually dry season threatening agricultural production, Pakistan's winter crops are in danger.
Food SecurityFebruary 1, 2024
Pedalos sit next to a dry dock in an empty lake

Spain: Catalonia declares drought emergency for Barcelona

Residents in Spain's second-biggest city and the region surrounding it will face tighter restrictions on water usage.
Nature and EnvironmentFebruary 1, 2024
Dürre in Südeuropa

Spain set to declare drought emergency in Catalonia

Barcelona and its surroundings are preparing for tighter water restrictions amid a historic drought.
Nature and EnvironmentFebruary 1, 202402:08 min
A boy drinks water from a tap in eastern Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: Deforestation 'threatens' water supply

A national park that provides clean water to Sierra Leone's capital is under threat, a UN report has said.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 31, 2024
Fokus Europa Spanien – der Wasservermesser

Spain: Surveying the sea

Water temperature measurements show the Mediterranean is getting warmer and warmer.
ClimateJanuary 25, 202404:58 min
Fokus Europa Deutschland Migration

Focus on Europe - Spotlight on People

The mayor of Hebertshausen in Bavaria welcomes migrants and refugees with open arms.
SocietyJanuary 25, 202426:05 min
A bird standing on a brach in a river in India

India's IT hub aims to clean up its toxic lakes

Efforts to rejuvenate Bengaluru's lakes aim to boost water supplies and reduce toxin levels in livestock and crops.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 22, 202406:41 min
A Palestinian woman bakes bread in Rafah, Gaza Strip.

Gaza nears famine as bread, water dwindle

UN agencies report that only 15 bakeries are left in Gaza, as humanitarian groups appeal for Israel to ensure more aid.
ConflictsJanuary 21, 202401:51 min
external

South Sudan: Lack of access to safe drinking water

Nearly 13 years after gaining independence, South Sudan continues to face deteriorating humanitarian conditions.
HealthJanuary 16, 202403:27 min
DR Kongo Kisangani

Hundreds dead as Congo River basin deluged by floods

The rising waters of the Congo River have claimed nearly 300 lives and affected 300,000 households in the DRC.
SocietyJanuary 11, 202400:50 min
external

REV – The Auto & Mobility Show

The Mercedes 600 phenomenon, refugees and their rickshaw business, and an amphibious bus in Paris.
Cars and TransportationJanuary 3, 202426:06 min
A Christmas goose in Germany

Leftover food: Reheat and live to tell the tale

We waste food all the time, not just during festivities. But it's easy to plan your meals and reuse cooked food safely.
HealthDecember 27, 2023
DW Sendung | Made in Germany 31.10.2023

The digital future and agriculture’s climate problem - MADE

Mobile payments in India, climate change and agriculture: major topics in business today.
BusinessDecember 26, 202326:06 min
A donkey, seen from behind, carries two jugs of water along a street in Mexico City

Mexicans rely on rainwater in water crisis

Mexico City is suffering from a dramatic water crisis. But some locals have come up with solutions involving rainwater.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 26, 202305:49 min
Children in queue for water supplied by private firm in Kabul on July 6, 2023

Kabul grapples with severe water shortages

As residents, businesses and nature experience severe shortages, the Taliban authorities blame "wastefulness."
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 23, 202302:08 min
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres holds a stack of papers in his hands as he sits during a UN Security Council meeting.

UN Security Council passes watered-down Gaza resolution

A new Gaza resolution has been passed to boost crucial aid deliveries. Yet it does not call for an immediate cease-fire.
ConflictsDecember 23, 202301:56 min
DW Tomorrow Today Sendungslogo Composite

Tomorrow Today — DW’s Science Show

What will we eat in the future – veggies from urban farms fed with wastewater? Meat grown in the lab? Or maybe both?!
ScienceDecember 22, 202326:06 min
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

Strong women: Impressive doers who get things done

Getting women on comedy stages in Pakistan. Plus, turning to surfboards to prove a point and fight racism in Brazil.
EqualityDecember 22, 202326:06 min
A man welds a pipe

The Egyptian solar water heaters cutting costs and emissions

Solar water heaters are becoming locally manufactured and affordable thanks to a social startup.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 21, 202303:29 min
Bildkombo DR Kongo Felix Tshisekedi Moise Katumbi Denis Mukwege Martin Fayulu (v.l.o. nach r.u.)

AfricaLink on Air - 18 December 2023

DRC election campaigns heat up amid insecurity +++ Why do the lights keep going out in Kenya?
PoliticsDecember 18, 202329:59 min
People and water containers on dry ground

Brazil: Drought parches the Amazon

The Amazon rainforest is reeling from severe drought and the rivers are running dry.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 15, 202305:53 min
A woman carrying bread is seen next to destroyed buildings in Rafah

UN highlights dire humanitarian situation in Gaza

The head of the UNRWA has just returned from Gaza with reports of widespread hunger and desperate conditions.
ConflictsDecember 14, 202302:18 min
Round briquettes in a white bag in Kenya

Turning human waste into energy in Kenya

In rural Kenya, human waste is being harnessed for energy. It replaces firewood and helps keep waterways clean.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 11, 202304:32 min
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

Climate change – A race against time

Severe drought in the Amazon and fair fashion in India
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 8, 202326:06 min
A solitary olive tree grows in the Tabernas Desert, Almeria, Spain — the driest region of Europe

Has Spain's olive oil become a luxury item?

For Spanish consumers, green gold is a driver of inflation; for producers it is both an opportunity and a challenge.
BusinessDecember 8, 2023
DW Podcast | Science Unscripted

What was it like when the Earth formed?

Does that question seem impossible to answer? It sure does. Unless you had the world's most powerful telescope.
ScienceDecember 7, 202318:54 min
A man pulls material out of the sand during a beach clean up along Hann Bay in Dakar

Senegal's industrialization leaves behind toxic waters

Dakar has been at the center of Senegal's industrialization for the past 20 years — with drastic consequences.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 30, 20238 images
DW Sendung | Made in Germany

E-Mobility and water-saving agriculture

Trains, cars, trucks: the future of mobility is electric. And Spain's farmers fight against drought.
BusinessNovember 21, 202326:06 min