This recent article and global assessment from World Resource Institute highlights a growing and interconnected challenge: 25 countries — together home to roughly one-quarter of the world’s population — are now experiencing extremely high water stress on an annual basis, using more than 80% of their available freshwater supply each year. In addition, more than 4 billion people live under high water stress at least one month per year. This level of pressure on water systems affects food production, energy systems, economic growth, and community well-being.

This article from CBC News highlights how ongoing drought and worsening environmental stressors are placing severe pressure on livestock producers in northwestern Alberta. The Municipal District (M.D.) of Greenview and the neighbouring County of Grande Prairie have both declared agricultural disasters due to prolonged dry conditions and escalating concerns over feed shortages for cattle.

This recent article from CBC News highlights growing concerns in New Brunswick as more residents report wells running dry amid ongoing drought conditions across much of the province. The New Brunswick Groundwater Association says the scale of well depletion this year is unusually widespread, with reports coming in from southern communities near Moncton and St. Stephen, as well as the Acadian Peninsula. Many of the affected wells are shallow, though some deeper wells have also begun showing signs of decline.

This recent article from CBC News shares the experience of Colleen Freake, a small-scale farmer in West Hants, Nova Scotia, who has spent months adapting to exceptional drought conditions — a once-in-50-years event, according to the Canadian Drought Monitor. With her well dried up since July, Freake relies on water pickups and deliveries to meet her household and farming needs, hauling buckets of water daily just to bathe, clean, and care for her animals.

This recent article from CBC News shares the experience of Colleen Freake, a small-scale farmer in West Hants, Nova Scotia, who has spent months adapting to exceptional drought conditions — a once-in-50-years event, according to the Canadian Drought Monitor. With her well dried up since July, Freake relies on water pickups and deliveries to meet her household and farming needs, hauling buckets of water daily just to bathe, clean, and care for her animals.

This article from The Guardian outlines how England is facing escalating water shortages following its hottest June on record since 1884. With three heatwaves and a prolonged lack of rainfall, several regions are now at risk of entering drought status— prompting the expansion of hosepipe bans and water use restrictions across the country.

This recent article from The Guardian highlights how extreme heat and prolonged drought are straining water systems across Iran, with temperatures soaring above 50°C in several regions. In Tehran, the government has declared a public holiday to reduce strain on infrastructure and conserve water and electricity, while water supply restrictions have been reported in parts of the city.

A recent article from CNN highlights a growing water crisis in Kabul, Afghanistan, where population growth, climate pressures, and over-extraction are pushing the city toward an unprecedented scenario: becoming the first modern capital to run dry. For residents, daily life revolves around securing enough water to meet basic needs — often at great financial and physical cost.

A recent CBC News article raises important questions about Canada’s readiness for increasingly intense flood events, especially as climate change amplifies the frequency of extreme rainfall across the country. Experts emphasize that while Canada has made significant progress in identifying strategies to reduce flood risk, implementation gaps remain — particularly when it comes to updating flood-risk maps and deploying coordinated early warning systems.

This recent article from The Canadian Press offers a look at how prolonged drought is taking a severe toll on farmers across southwest Saskatchewan and other parts of the Canadian Prairies. Quinton Jacksteit, a farmer and reeve near Golden Prairie, says 2024 marks the ninth consecutive year his land has suffered from drought. With crops too short to yield a harvest, many like him are salvaging what they can as animal feed, while some multi-generational farms may not survive another season.

This recent article from The Canadian Press offers a look at how prolonged drought is taking a severe toll on farmers across southwest Saskatchewan and other parts of the Canadian Prairies. Quinton Jacksteit, a farmer and reeve near Golden Prairie, says 2024 marks the ninth consecutive year his land has suffered from drought. With crops too short to yield a harvest, many like him are salvaging what they can as animal feed, while some multi-generational farms may not survive another season.