Staring down barrel of water

Bangladesh:  Once widely abundant, the freshwater for Dhaka dwellers continues to deplete at a dramatic rate and may disappear far below the ground. With rivers and water bodies around the city either polluted or encroached upon, almost 70 per cent of the water needed for quenching the thirst of Dhaka’s 2.3 crore people and supplying to homes and industries comes from groundwater. The Bangladesh Water Development Board, which has been monitoring water quantity and quality for 60 years, indicates a fall of 2 metres a year in the groundwater level of Dhaka. —The Daily Star

Leatherback turtles are coming

Sri Lanka: The largest and one of the five most rare turtle species, known as leatherback sea turtles, have been spotted arriving in the Kalametiya and Rekawa coastal areas, the Wildlife Conservation Department said. Leatherback sea turtles undertake the longest migrations between breeding and feeding areas of any sea turtle, some averaging 3,700 miles each way. Wildlife officials say these turtles swim more than 7,000 miles across the Pacific, and complete the longest journey from the US west coast. The department has informed the fishing community to be careful when fishing. —Daily Mirror

Unique green film festival

Nepal: The Nepal-CMS Vatavaran Film Festival and Forum on Climate Action and Biodiversity Conservation 2023 is scheduled to be held in Kathmandu from December 15-17. It is billed as Asia’s biggest environmental film festival and forum. The event will bring together filmmakers, environmentalists, policymakers and nature lovers to explore the intersection of cinema and ecological consciousness. A total of 12 international award-winning films from different parts of the world on various environmental issues will be screened. —The Himalayan Times

4 am pub closure zones 

Thailand: Health networks are suggesting raising the tax on alcoholic beverages in pilot zones where entertainment venues would be allowed to remain open until 4 am. The proposal is aimed at mitigating the impact of alcohol consumption. Certain zones in Bangkok, Chonburi, Phuket and Chiang Mai have been selected to pilot the move, expected to start within this month. Extending the opening hours of pubs to 4 am, from the current 1 am or 2 am, could create social impacts, such as road accidents, crimes and health problems. —The Nation

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