HISTORICAL FACTS: 21 - The Untold Story

Europe’s hydropower nears ‘all-time-low’ as summer drought worsens. Is gas the only backup?

“We are simply missing one-third of the water volume that our hydropower plants would normally process.”

Euronews · Aug 4

Kyrgyzstan's 2021 water crisis inspired a plan using helicopters to spray coal dust on mountain snow to release water for drought-stricken farms

Kyrgyzstan considered scattering coal dust on snow to accelerate melting during a 2021 water shortage. This idea aimed to increase river flows but carried significant environmental risks. Dark particles absorb more sunlight, causing snow to melt faster, a scientifically proven effect. However, accelerating melt does not guarantee increased usable water…

The Times of India · Aug 4

Europe’s Danube, Rhine and Loire are shrinking under heat and drought, disrupting shipping, power generation and tourism

Record low water levels in Europe's major rivers are disrupting electricity production, cargo transport and business operations as heatwaves and drought continue across the continent. Nuclear and hydropower plants have cut output, shipping on the Danube and Rhine has slowed, and companies are reporting lower earnings, highlighting the growing economic…

The Times of India · Aug 4

Ranchers win fight as Trump halts border wall water drilling in drought-hit New Mexico

Customs and Border Protection has ordered construction crews building Trump’s second border wall to stop drilling wells in drought-stricken New Mexico after ranchers said pumping the groundwater needed to mix cement could threaten their livestock

The Independent UK · Aug 3

Europe's record-breaking heat sparks wildfires, drought in France, Greece and the UK

Europe's record-breaking hot and dry summer continues to take its toll on France and Greece, where firefighters fought to contain major blazes, while the UK recorded its driest July in nearly two centuries. Europe is Earth’s fastest-warming continent, heating at more than twice the global average since the 1980s, according…

France 24 · Aug 3

Extreme heat and drought take a toll around the world, in photos

Heat and drought are affecting communities around the world, lowering water levels and sending people and animals in search of relief. The hot, dry weather is reshaping landscapes and daily life.

The Independent UK · Aug 3

Why the Spokane wildfires became so catastrophic

Three large wildfires raced through neighborhoods in and around Spokane, Washington, the weekend of Aug. 1, 2026, destroying more than 600 homes and other structures and threatening many more. Tens of thousands of people, including patients at the Veterans Affairs medical center, were forced to evacuate as crews from across…

The Conversation · Aug 3

Wildfires rage across Washington as drought and heat fuel painful summer: ‘It’s not normal’

Hundreds of structures damaged as firefighters battle to contain 15 major wildfires amid extreme heat and drought

The Guardian - US · Aug 3

Romania blasts rock to divert water from drought-hit Danube to nuclear reactor

Hungary and Romania face energy crisis as record-low river levels force atomic power plants to reduce output

The Guardian - UK · Aug 3

UK Food Shortage Fears Grow as Drought Leaves Some Farmers Facing Their Last Harvest

UK farmers warn of potential food shortages due to record drought conditions, urging government intervention to protect domestic supplies.

International Business Times UK · Aug 3