A window into what we’re reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program

Canal Projects Endanger Water Security in Pakistan’s Indus Delta (Al Jazeera)

Dozens of villages in the Indus Delta have been submerged by the encroaching sea over recent years, pushing thousands to migrate inland. Now, local residents in Pakistan fear that new canal projects may further exacerbate water shortages in the region.

Under the Green Pakistan Initiative, Pakistan’s government aims to build six canals to irrigate 4.8 million acres of agricultural land. The project relies on $6 billion in investment from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain, and it is expected to bolster the country’s corporate farming sector. Yet this project has faced widespread backlash among residents of the Indus Delta who fear land degradation and water shortages, however. Since 1833, the Indus Delta has shrunk in area by 92%, compelling farmers to rely increasingly on the two-month monsoon season for water supplies.

As saltwater submerges more coastal villages, water scarcity now has skyrocketed. Mohammed Leghari, a representative in the Indus River System Authority, observed that: “From 1999 to 2024, not a single year has passed without water shortage in Pakistan…where will the water for the proposed canal system come from?”

LISTEN | Michael Kugelman on Pakistan’s “Nightmare” Water Scenario

Protected Amazonian Mangroves Threatened by Port Project (Mongabay)

A port project in the Ramsar area in the Brazilian Amazon has been planned to help transport commodities like iron ore and boost the region’s economy. Yet local Quilombola residents and environmentalists fear that construction will degrade Reentrâncias Maranhenses—an environmental protection area that connects the largest continuous area of mangroves in the world.

The port terminal project envisioned by developer Grão-Pará Multimodal is planned to be built on Cajual Island in the Reentrâncias Maranhenses region. This island is home to a community of 51 Quilombola families who agreed to the project construction in exchange for new houses, a school and health center, and 6% of the project’s profits. Yet public prosecutors discovered that residents were not fully informed of the project’s environmental impacts, which would destroy the habitats of marine animals they rely on for food. Grão-Pará Multimodal successfully archived the technical study process needed for an environmental license in 2023, according to the federal agency responsible for these studies.

Environmentalists and researchers predict that the port will destroy several freshwater lagoons and mangroves where migratory birds and endangered hawksbill and green sea turtles reside. The presence of ships in the area also may introduce ballast water from commercial trade into fragile ecosystems and bring disease. Indigenous groups and environmental groups now hope that the state licensing process will lead to a comprehensive evaluation of the project’s environmental impacts.

READ | Brazilian Amazon Drained of Millions of Wild Animals by Criminal Networks

Experts Warn UK Must Increase Flood Defenses for Public Safety (The Guardian)

A third of England’s critical infrastructure, including energy networks and railways, is perpetually at risk of flooding. And as this flood risk grows across the country, researchers have urged the nation’s chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to increase spending on flood defenses to protect the public and strengthen national security.

According to Public First, damage caused by flooding each year currently costs £2.4bn annually. Nearly 2 million people across the UK are exposed to flooding each year, but public confidence in flood resilience remains low. Nearly 66% of people do not think the country is prepared to deal with future flooding.

As part of the UK government’s push to build new properties, nearly 100,000 homes are expected to be built on high-risk flood plains. Flood defense spending is pegged at £1.3bn, less than the £1.5bn recommended by the National Infrastructure Commission. Researchers now recommend increased funding as reports predict that one in four properties will be at risk of flooding by 2050, but Britain’s Labour government has not yet made any commitments to devote greater funding for flood defense.

READ | Before the Flood: Lessons from Attempts to Predict Displacement