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"This blog post explains and justifies the rationale for creating a set of lessons on the current water crisis in Las Vegas and the American southwest. The lessons are designed to grab students' attention, teach key geographical concepts, improve their skills and challenge students' mental facilities. They are pitched at able GCSE Geography students and have enough stretch and challenge to also be used at A level. With minor tweaking these resources and tasks could easily be used by for Year 13 A2 geographers studying the 'Water Conflicts' Unit 3 topic. "

California's drought was dragging on and the city had among the strictest watering restrictions in the state. The city had a long-standing history of trying to cut water use, but despite its efforts, 3,000 people were still watering their yards everyday in March.

"A £25billion rival to the Panama Canal could be built across Nicaragua - funded entirely by the Chinese. The hugely ambitious engineering project would give China control of a vital waterway to challenge the one completed by the US in Panama nearly 100 years ago. Legislation paving the way for a new canal was given the go-ahead by Nicaraguan politicians on Monday night and is expected to be approved by the National Assembly tomorrow."

Australia and US offer desalination and reverse-osmosis units as severe drought worsens in Pacific archipelago

"Lester Brown says grain harvests are already shrinking as US, India and China come close to 'peak water'"

"Emergency regulations force some communities to cut water use by as much as 36% as devastating drought enters fourth year"

"From California to the Middle East, huge areas of the world are drying up and a billion people have no access to safe drinking water. US intelligence is warning of the dangers of shrinking resources and experts say the world is 'standing on a precipice'"

"A Billion people don't have access to sufficient water and with water use growing at twice the rate of the population, water will surpass oil as the most desired and needed liquid. BBC sent 4 correspondents around the world to investigate. Then Matt Frei talkes with Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University."

" Drought-stricken California has ordered the largest cuts on record to farmers holding some of the state's strongest water rights."

"Research shows that in some places the ground is sinking nearly two inches each month, putting infrastructure on the surface at growing risk of damage"

"Despite the recent rain in southern California, the area is still suffering from a historic drought. Homeowners who can't abide municipal water restrictions are trying lawn painting and synthetic grass - and lawn entrepreneurs are finding plenty of work: 'We all do it because we want to live in a beautiful neighborhood'"

"From the iconic Hoover Dam of US to Mao's Three Gorges Dam in China and India's Sardar Sarovar, here is a selection of 12 mega dams of the world - but are they a boon or bane?"

The recent World Economic Forum Global Risks report identifies the 10 "biggest threats to the stability of the world" over the next 10 years. These are difficult times, and the catalogue of potential threats includes many that may seem familiar, including high unemployment, war and the spread of infectious disease.

"Water regulators in California voted on Tuesday to outlaw watering the lawn within 48 hours of a rainstorm, the latest effort to spur Californians to conserve as the state enters its fourth year of drought."