An Island Nation With No Drinking Water
A beach at Funafuti atoll, Tuvalu, on a sunny day. (Photo: Stefan Lins/Wikipedia)
A magnifying glass might come in handy for today’s Geo Quiz. Not to mention a reverse osmosis machine.
We are looking for an island nation that is just a scattering of dots on the map. The country’s nine tiny islands are located about halfway between Australia and Hawaii in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Together they rank as the 4th smallest country in the world.
But as small as it is, this place has big problems. There is almost no drinking water.
Supplies have all but run out after five months of drought, so the government has declared a state of emergency.
New Zealand and Australia are mobilizing to help.
The answer is Tuvalu.
The Polynesian island nation is located about halfway between Hawaii and Australia. And the urgent need there this week is for drinking water.
Tuvalu declared a state of emergency this week. The neighboring Pacific territory of Tokelau, north of Samoa declared a similar water emergency Tuesday.
To find out more anchor Marco Werman talks to Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute based in Oakland, CA.
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