Water news for December 2025
Trump Threatens Tariff to Force Water from Drought-stricken Mexico
President Donald Trump demanded that Mexico provide more water to the United States and threatened to raise tariffs by 5% on imports if the country doesn’t open the spigot before the end of the year.
Under a 1944 treaty, Mexico must send 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the United States from the Rio Grande River through a network of interconnected dams and reservoirs every five years. Water is measured in increments needed to cover an acre of land 1 foot deep.
Trump raised the prospect of tariffs in April on social media in response to a shortfall and the State Department announced Mexico committed to providing more water. USA Today.
Drying Lake Is a Serious and Expensive Hazard
The drying Great Salt Lake is generating serious and expensive-to-address health issues to Utah residents. Grist
Plastic Pollution to Double
A new report shows that by 2040 plastic pollution will double in the absence of efforts taken to combat it. New Lede
More than 1000 dead from flooding
Sri Lanka and Indonesia have deployed their militaries to help victims of floods that have killed more than 1,000 people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia in recent days.
Millions have been affected by a combination of tropical cyclones and heavy monsoon rains, with ensuing flooding killing at least 502 in Indonesia, 355 in Sri Lanka, and 170 in Thailand. Three deaths have been reported in Malaysia.
The losses and damage are the worst in Sri Lanka since the 2004 tsunami that killed about 31,000 people and left more than a million homeless, while for Indonesia, it is the deadliest event since a 2018 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that killed more than 2,000 people in Sulawesi. The Guardian
EPA Dismisses New Atrazine Warnings
US regulators are dismissing new research by international cancer experts that warns of links between cancer and the widely used pesticide atrazine, deriding the team of cancer scientists and echoing atrazine maker Syngenta in its criticism.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sees no need to act quickly on the new assessment issued last month by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), according to an EPA spokesperson. New Lede.
Sardine Shortage Leads to Massive Starvation of Penguins
More than 60,000 penguins in colonies off the coast of South Africa have starved to death as a result of disappearing sardines, a new paper has found.
More than 95% of the African penguins in two of the most important breeding colonies, on Dassen Island and Robben Island, died between 2004 and 2012. The breeding penguins probably starved to death during the moulting period, according to the paper, which said the climate crisis and overfishing were driving declines. The Guardian
Death Toll Devastating for Floods in Indonesia
The death toll in Indonesia from recent flooding has passed 900, with hundreds still missing.
More than 100,000 homes were destroyed when a rare and powerful cyclone formed over the Malaca Strait last week, bringing torrential rain and landslides to parts of the South East Asian country. BBC
PFAS in Drinking Water Puts Babies at Risk
A study has shown that PFAS in drinking water of pregnant women puts their babies at risk. The Conversation
