"As water levels plummet to 45% in America's second-largest reservoir, new islands appear - and fears grow for a waterway that serves 40 million people"

"Critics of California's current water policy advocate more infrastructure spending on things like dams, canals, and desalination plants.  Many would also curtail water releases for the benefit of fish and other wildlife. Certainly, infrastructure spending would be better than wasting money on the governor's high-speed-train fantasy.  However, California cannot spend enough money on water infrastructure to prevent water shortages."

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

"Last week drought in São Paulo was so bad, residents tried drilling through basement floors for groundwater. As reservoirs dry up across the world, a billion people have no access to safe drinking water. Rationing and a battle to control supplies will follow"

"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."

"The parched Golden State is experiencing one of the most severe water crises in its history"

"The Orange River has its headwaters in the high mountains of Lesotho, a tiny nation completely surrounded by South Africa. The rural mountain communities farm and herd animals, proud of their ability to survive the harsh conditions."

"Conflict continues to rage in Iraq over control of the Mosul dam, which impounds 11 cubic kilometres of water and controls water levels and supplies across the country, writes Jonathan Bridge. It's not the first battle fought over control of water - and it's certainly not the last in a drying Middle East with fast-growing populations."

"Security analysts in London and Baghdad say control of rivers and dams has become a major tactical weapon for Isis"

"Vast lake's water level expected to plunge to levels that predate the construction of the Hoover Dam"

"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. "

"Amid a brutal drought the reservoir that supplies 90 per cent of Las Vegas's water is fast disappearing and desperate attempts to save Sin City are under way"

"Mehdiganj plant at centre of protests accused of extracting too much groundwater and releasing pollutants above limits"

The story of bottled water

"A fifth of China's farmland is polluted, according to an offical report based on the results of an extensive survey."

"170 dead pigs recovered from a river in northwest China is the latest in a string of food and water safety scandals"

"Nearly 60% of China's underground water is polluted, state media has reported, underscoring the severity of the country's environmental woes."

reat interactive infographic

"Due to increasing demand for Colorado River water by the United States and Mexico, the final stretch of the Lower Colorado has virtually disappeared. It has been decades since the Colorado flowed all the way through Mexico to the Gulf of California. Major spring floods are a rarity, and the lower reaches of the river only flow after rainstorms or when agricultural runoff drains into the dried riverbed."

"Plan to build 160 dams in the northeast may cut reliance on coal, but would damage wildlife and habitat, and the power generated won't benefit locals, critics say"