Films with: Gleick, Peter H.

Last call at the oasis

Water. It's the earth's most valuable resource. Our cities are powered by it, countless industries depend on it, and all living things need it to survive. But it's very possible that in the near future, there won't be enough to sustain life on our planet. This film sheds light on the vital role water plays in our lives, exposes the defects in the current system, and shows communities already struggling with its ill effects.

DVD 9556

Thirsty planet.

Almost half the world gets its drinking water from rivers that cross national boundaries. Analysts predict that more wars will be fought over water than oil. This program surveys a number of active or potential hot spots: Israel and the river Jordan; the Southeastern Anatolia Project in Turkey and its effects on Syria and Iraq; Egypt's Toshka Canal and the Nile Basin Initiative; and the Tehri dam in India. The program also looks at the effects of the Hoover dam on the Colorado River delta in Mexico and the success of Lesotho's Katse dam.

DVD 2793

Thirsty planet.

Looks at the use of water for agriculture from locations around the world, surveying both disasters of agricultural irrigation, such as cotton farming in Uzbekistan, and innovative successes in water-efficient techniques and crops, such as in California and India. Also looks at the destructive effects of deforestation and overgrazing, the difficulty of fighting erosion and reclaiming arable soil, and the urgency of the motto: more crop per drop.

DVD 2794

Thirsty planet.

In a dramatic reversal of policy since apartheid, South Africa has become a model of water fulfillment. Despite being one of the driest regions on Earth, India's Rajasthan is an oasis due to the revival of a system of ancient rain basins. This program looks at these encouraging examples to show how sustainable solutions to long-term water management can be achieved, while a visit to Sertão in Brazil illustrates the appalling alternative -- two very different futures.

DVD 2795

Thirsty planet.

When demand outpaces supply, water becomes a commodity to be traded on the global market. But who owns water and how can a price be set on water? In this program the pros and cons of privatization are assessed in a number of water management situations around the world: Aguas Argentinas in Buenos Aires; the Bechtel Corporation in Cochabamba, Bolivia; Thames Water Company in Jakarta and a public/private test partnership in Albania.

DVD 2796

Thirsty planet.

Takes a hard look at the mounting challenge of providing millions of people in urban areas with potable water and adequate disposal of waste water. To highlight the difficulties, segments focus on the water problems of the magalopolis, cities with populations over 10 million people such as Lagos, Jakarta and Mexico City. The massive logistics that enable Las Vegas, Nevada to prosper in the middle of a desert are also explored.

DVD 2797

Thirsty planet.

Looks at the construction of dams examining the positive and negative impact as well as the politics and economics of several ongoing or proposed projects: China' Three Gorges Dam, Egypt's Mubarak pumping station, pit-mine reclamation in Germany's Lausitz Region, and Spain's controversial national hydrological plan for the Ebro River.

DVD 2802