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The Centre for Environmental Rights has called for a criminal investigation into water contamination in Bloemhof, Northwest, following an outbreak of diarrhoeal disease that caused hundreds of illnesses and the deaths of three infants under two years of age. The request targets potential culpable homicide and violations of the National Water Act, Water Services Act, and National Environmental Management Act, specifically citing the alleged negligence of the Lekwa Teemane Municipal Manager and a contractor regarding sewage spillage.

The 2014 Green Drop Progress Report, published by GreenCape, provides a national overview of wastewater treatment performance in South Africa. It utilizes the Progress Assessment Tool (PAT) to track the Cumulative Risk Rating (CRR) of municipal, public, and private wastewater treatment plants, highlighting a general trend of increasing risk across the sector between 2013 and 2014.

The report examines South Africa's water sector, highlighting the country's status as the 30th driest globally and the resulting pressure on water resources. It details the governance roles of the Department of Water Affairs (DWA), water boards, and municipalities, while identifying critical challenges such as non-revenue water (approximately 36.8% of supply) and a chronic shortage of engineering skills. In the Western Cape, the report notes a high reliance on six major dams and the implementation of the Berg River Improvement Plan to address pollution. Future opportunities for the private sector are identified in desalination, artificial aquifer recharge, water re-use, and infrastructure maintenance, supported by various government grants like the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG).

The report assesses South Africa's water-stressed environment, highlighting the dominance of agricultural water demand and critical challenges such as non-revenue water losses and a severe shortage of technical skills. It details the governance roles of the Department of Water Affairs and various grants available for municipal infrastructure. In the Western Cape, the report identifies specific projects like the Berg River Improvement Plan and various wastewater treatment plant upgrades as key areas of activity and private sector opportunity.

The document assesses the socio-economic analysis (SMA) methodologies used by four Baltic Sea nations to meet the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. It identifies discrepancies in baseline scenario development and analytical approaches—specifically between ecosystem services and marine accounting—and provides evidence from case studies in Estonia and Latvia regarding public willingness to pay for environmental improvements. The brief recommends a combined qualitative and quantitative approach to measure the cost-effectiveness of new policy measures and emphasizes the need for cross-border coordination to close 'policy gaps' in marine protection.

The SEI/WASHi project implemented five pilot sites in Bihar, India, to demonstrate sustainable, dry sanitation systems (ecosan) that treat human excreta for use as agricultural fertilizer. The project addressed flood-prone conditions, gender-specific hygiene needs—particularly menstruation management—and established the state's only nutrient-testing laboratory in Patna. Agricultural trials showed that urine-fertilized plots produced yields equal to or better than those using commercial NPK fertilizer. The initiative aimed to influence state policy and contribute to Millennium Development Goals by providing low-cost alternatives to agricultural chemicals and improving public health.

The project implemented urine-harvesting urinals at a school and administrative office in Bind Block, Bihar, and conducted field trials to compare treated urine with NPK chemical fertilizers. Results showed that urine provided similar or better crop yields for vegetables and fruits, while offering a free alternative that could save a family approximately 4,000 rupees annually. By framing urine as a valuable resource rather than waste, the project aimed to overcome social and caste-based barriers to sanitation adoption in rural India.

The Shree Krishna Gyan Mandir Water and Nutrient Testing Laboratory and Research Centre was opened in August 2013 in Patna, Bihar, through a collaboration between the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Institute (WASHi). The non-profit facility provides high-standard analyses of water quality and the nutrient content of 'humanure' products—including treated urine, greywater, and liquid from composting toilets—to provide scientific credibility for ecological sanitation (ecosan) models. The laboratory follows National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) guidelines, can perform 30 analyses per day, and offers services to civil society, schools, and communities to support water conservation and public health. Initial findings from the lab have confirmed the presence of arsenic in wells across Bihar. To ensure long-term sustainability, the laboratory employs a cost-recovery tariff for operational expenses and offers training courses, while seeking statutory accreditation to increase its professional status and client base.

The study estimated that the La Vieja river basin receives approximately 15 tons of pollutant load per day, primarily from domestic sources. By integrating WEAP and QUAL2K tools, the project modeled 12 tributary sources and identified six sub-basins responsible for 96% of the pollutant load. The analysis included a participatory XLRM process to identify 14 uncertainties and 10 management strategies, while incorporating 30 climate change scenarios for the 2010-2050 period to support institutional decision-making.

Conservation groups represented by Earthjustice intervened in a federal lawsuit to support a 2010 U.S. Forest Service plan for the Tahoe National Forest. The plan limits off-highway vehicles (OHVs) to approximately 2,000 miles of roads, 385 miles of trails, and 244 acres of play areas to prevent environmental damage and protect drinking water sources for millions of Californians.

The document serves as a guide for citizens and officials to navigate the complexities of unconventional oil and gas development. It outlines the technical process of fracking, identifies critical environmental and social risks—including water contamination, air pollution, and infrastructure strain—and provides a framework for assessing the reliability of scientific information. Additionally, it lists key stakeholders and potential regulatory responses at the federal, state, and local levels, while highlighting case studies of community-led actions in the United States.

The National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS2) outlines a comprehensive plan to manage South Africa's scarce water resources sustainably and equitably. It prioritizes water allocation reform to redress historical imbalances, emphasizes water conservation and demand management (WCWDM) to reconcile supply and demand, and proposes a significant institutional realignment, including the establishment of nine Catchment Management Agencies and Regional Water Utilities. The strategy addresses critical challenges such as climate change, water pollution, and infrastructure backlogs, while estimating a total sector investment requirement of R700 billion over ten years.

Minister Edna Molewa's 2013 budget speech focuses on a 'decade of equity and redistribution' for South Africa's water sector. Key initiatives include the R4.334 billion Interim Water Supply Programme for rural backlogs, a projected R670 billion infrastructure need over ten years, and the gazetting of the National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS-2). The speech details several major dam and pipeline projects, such as the De Hoop and Mzimvubu projects, and reports on efforts to combat illegal water use and acid mine drainage.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) advocates for the inclusion of robust conservation measures in the 2013 Farm Bill, specifically calling for maintained funding, conservation compliance for all federal subsidy beneficiaries, and the creation of a national sod-saver program. The letter emphasizes that integrating native perennial prairie plants and short-rotation biomass crops on marginal lands can simultaneously achieve conservation goals—such as carbon sequestration and water quality improvement—and energy goals by providing sustainable bio-based feedstock to displace fossil fuels.

The document details the environmental footprint of geothermal power, distinguishing between hydrothermal and enhanced geothermal systems. It highlights that while closed-loop systems minimize air emissions and water contamination, open-loop systems release gases like hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. The text notes that geothermal energy has significantly lower life-cycle global warming emissions than coal or natural gas, though it can be associated with land subsidence and increased earthquake frequency.

The document examines Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) as a tool to incentivize agricultural land managers to provide non-market environmental benefits. It distinguishes between action-based payments, which reward the adoption of specific practices, and outcome-based payments, which reward actual environmental results. The authors argue that outcome-based approaches are more effective at delivering biodiversity and ecosystem services because they encourage farmer innovation and target the most ecologically valuable land. While European examples often focus on site-specific biodiversity in grasslands, the report suggests that shifting from top-down contractual agreements to local governance and participatory design is essential for scaling these mechanisms. Barriers to implementation include scientific uncertainty, high administrative costs, and the risk of 'leakage' where environmental damage is displaced outside the PES zone.

The report applies the ADAPTool to evaluate three existing forestry policies and provide design recommendations for a new wetlands policy in Manitoba. The forestry analysis found that while policies generally support autonomous adaptability and are sufficiently decentralized, there are gaps in supporting planned adaptation for fire and extreme weather. The wetlands analysis, acting as a pilot for new policy design, identified key vulnerabilities to climate change and land-use competition, suggesting the inclusion of a multistakeholder wetland council and a diverse mix of policy instruments to enhance resilience.

The report estimates the annual value of improving Florida's water quality between $1.3 billion and $10.5 billion, highlighting the severe economic and ecological impacts of nutrient pollution and harmful algae outbreaks.

The CER evaluates the draft NWRS2 against its previous 'Stop Treading Water' report, supporting goals to improve Department of Water Affairs (DWA) stability and the establishment of Catchment Management Agencies (CMAs). However, it criticizes the draft for lacking specific timeframes and financial details, failing to afford legal status to Catchment Management Forums (CMFs), and omitting necessary reforms for the Water Tribunal. The CER specifically warns that proposed revisions to the 'Reserve' for economic development may complicate its implementation and threaten ecosystems.

The paper examines 38 PES schemes in Latin America, finding that most are local initiatives driven by NGOs and focused on improving extractive water supply through forest conservation. It highlights a significant disconnect between payment levels and market-based data, noting that payments are typically decided top-down and based on inputs (actions) rather than verified ecosystem outputs.