As part of the effort to increase national forest cover and encourage a green economy, the Congolese government announced a new program on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 to plant trees across one million hectares of previously degraded forestlands.  

http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0810-hance_congo-plantations.html

Officials in China's Guizhou province report on August 12, 2011 that 2.2 million people living in 84 of the province’s cities and counties are suffering from shortages of safe drinking water due to drought that has brought 70% less rain than normal since the beginning of July.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2011/08/12/Drinking-water-shortage-in-China-drought/UPI-18121313176550/
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-08/12/c_131046202.htm


Experts from the US Environmental Protection Agency report on August 13, 2011 that this summer’s heat wave in the USA is causing main water lines to break, with an estimated 700 fractures of the vital lines occurring daily, affecting supplies in states such as California, Texas, Indiana, Kentucky and New York.

http://www.kitv.com/irresistible/28854564/detail.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/US/08/13/water.infrastructure/