Don Sebastian Alonzo Juan, 72, is shot and killed while participating in a peaceful community demonstration in Yichkisis, village of San Mateo Ixtatan, Huehuetenango, Guatemala, against three local hydroelectric projects. The shots are reportedly fired by the private security guards hired by the hydroelectric project company.
Hundreds of environmental activists in Latin America have been killed in recent years. For example, in 2016, Berta C?ceres — a prize winning activist working to stop development of the internationally funded Agua Zarca hydroelectric dam on the Gualcarque river — is murdered after years of death threats and state persecution linked to her campaign. Two of her colleagues have also been killed.
Residents of Fernana in northwestern Tunisia threaten to cut off the supply of water delivered by a pumping station to the capital, Tunis. They are protesting economic conditions and repeated water cuts that have sparked anger and protests among the local population. At least one death is reported. Water shortages are experienced in Sousse, Nabeul, Sfax, Kef, Siliana, Beja, Sidi Bouzid, Ben Arous, Medenine and Tataouine. Given the increasing number of protests, the Tunisian citizen’s water observatory, Watchwater, warns against…
Scarce water supplies in drought-hit regions of India spark violence. As northern and central India suffer thorough severe drought and heat, police in Bundelkhand and several other regions including Tikamgarh are reporting a rise in violent, often deadly clashes over water. Indian police report that the fighting is getting more frequent and bloody, with numerous injuries and deaths reported.
Rioting and looting over energy and water cuts leaves fifteen people injured, as severe drought effects on hydropower generation worsen energy availability and economic disruptions. President Maduro blames the crisis on the fall in global oil prices, a drought that has affected hydroelectric power generation, and political factors.
Attacks on water and power infrastructure throughout Yemen deprive nearly 20 million people of reliable access to clean water.
Protests against the building of dams on the Brahmaputra River in India’s Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh turns violent, leading to two deaths and additional injuries. Both China and India have put forward plans for nearly 150 dams in the region, with major local opposition.
At least two people die and others are injured in riots over water in Bangalore, India in the state of Karnataka. The unrest starts when the Indian Supreme Court orders Karnataka to release water from dams on the Kaveri river to neighboring Tamil Nadu. Over 400 people were arrested.
Environmental activist and opposition leader Sikhosiphi Radebe in South Africa is murdered after opposing industrial mining development that threatened community water and land.
A severe drought in Northern KwaZulu-Natal sparks “water riots’ in the town of Jozini over access to water and in opposition to the installation of water meters. Violence erupts after a community protest, leading to the arrest of 23 people.