Franklin Martin crouches down and strokes the remnants of a lonely blade of grass amid a sea of red dirt and rocks, the dry earth crunching beneath his feet.
“It’s barely green and something has already nibbled on it,” the Navajo rancher laments.
It’s another patch of rare nutrients that his cattle will be deprived of.
Mr Martin grazes his cattle on the western edge of the Navajo Nation, near where the Colorado River carves its way through the Grand Canyon.
Twenty-two years of drought has left the Colorado River Basin a shadow of its former self. The river, which provides drinking water to 40 million people in the south-western US and fuels the farms and ranches that feed the country, is hurting like never before.
Next month, the US federal government is expected to declare the first ever water shortage in the lower basin, prompting water cuts in Arizona, Nevada and Mexico.
The cuts are expected to be especially difficult for indigenous communities living near the river, like Mr Martin’s.
“It’s been dry for quite a while,” he said. “It’s not good around here.”
Mr Martin keeps his cattle on a remote tract of land, whose red earth stretches towards the horizon until it plunges into the Grand Canyon. There are no pipes that reach it, so the community is forced to rely on a series of earth dams — little mounds of dirt built up to help pool water.
The area is dotted with more than 100 of these dams, and all but a few are now dry, leaving nothing behind but cracked dirt unable to sustain even a few blades of grass for the cattle.
That means Mr Martin has to bring water in on a daily basis.
“I don't like it,” he told The National. Waiting in line to fill up his tanks, Mr Martin said he finds it hard to believe this is happening in America — instead, he said it seems more like a developing country he might see on the news.
A recent study by the US Water Alliance found Native Americans are 19 times more likely not to have access to drinking water and indoor plumbing than other Americans. This statistic makes them even more vulnerable to the effects of drought.
Water rights along the Colorado River are coveted and highly complicated. In theory, Native American tribes have senior water rights to roughly 20 per cent of what the river can give. But in reality, the tribes are only able to draw a fraction of that due to a lack of infrastructure and unfinished contracts with the states they are in.
A new report published by a collection of tribes along the river is calling on the federal government to help cover the cost of infrastructure projects that would give tribes better access to the shrinking water source.
In April, a bipartisan bill appeared to address that very issue: the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act, which was pushed through the Senate, called for significant investments in water infrastructure projects on Native American reservations.
The bill, coupled with President Joe Biden’s proposed infrastructure package, is viewed by some Native Americans as an important step in resolving the water crisis that plagues many reservations.
‘The life-giver of our people’
In Navajo culture, the land and river are sacred, a concept shared by many of the other tribes that dot the shores of the once mighty river.
“In the tribal belief system, the river is the life-giver of our people,” explained Loretta Jackson-Kelly of the Hualapai tribe, one of the 30 tribes whose members live within the Colorado River Basin.
“We as a people believe through our own ancestral stories that we have backbones — you know, our spine, that allows us to live. We feel the same way about the river itself, that it is a living entity,” she said.
The health of the river is central to the Haulapai people's belief system, but its fate is far out of their control.
In America’s relatively brief history, the country has altered the Colorado River in considerable ways. The US has built 15 dams along the waterway, and the two biggest ones, the Hoover Dam and the Glen Canyon, flooded sacred tribal lands to create the country’s largest reservoirs.
Those reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, serve the West’s growing population by providing fresh water to millions of Americans and generating hydroelectric power.
But increased demands on the reservoirs and the punishing drought have left their water levels at record lows.
Mr Martin blames a culture of excess that has put too heavy a demand on the river.
“There’s people, they want water for golf, you know, and to wash their vehicles. Then they got lawns, green lawns but no agriculture on it, nothing. So, to me, that’s a waste,” he said.
While the West has a long history of battling droughts, climate scientists say global warming is magnifying the problem.
“It’s hard to wrap our heads around the severity of the drought and what that means,” said Keith Musselman, a scientist at the University of Colorado’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research.
“There are many people who live in the West who have spent their entire lives in this drought and this is what they know and I think it’s difficult for us to see these long-term implications that are now becoming very prominent and are risking life in the West as we know it.”
Mr Martin said his father warned him of these problems.
“My dad, he never went to school, he didn't speak English, but the way he talked about things, he said there is a limit to things, everything has a limit, and I think right now, we went beyond that limit,” he said. “Our climate has changed. It’s getting worse.”
This story is part of a series on the Colorado River drought in the American West. Read more here and here.
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
You Were Never Really Here
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Starring: Joaquim Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov
Four stars
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
Mobile phone packages comparison
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
Arrogate's winning run
1. Maiden Special Weight, Santa Anita Park, June 5, 2016
2. Allowance Optional Claiming, Santa Anita Park, June 24, 2016
3. Allowance Optional Claiming, Del Mar, August 4, 2016
4. Travers Stakes, Saratoga, August 27, 2016
5. Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Park, November 5, 2016
6. Pegasus World Cup, Gulfstream Park, January 28, 2017
7. Dubai World Cup, Meydan Racecourse, March 25, 2017
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Look north
BBC business reporters, like a new raft of government officials, are being removed from the national and international hub of London and surely the quality of their work must suffer.
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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ILT20%20UAE%20stars
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T20 World Cup Qualifier A, Muscat
Friday, February 18: 10am - Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm - Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain
Saturday, February 19: 10am - Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm - UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain
Monday, February 21: 10am - Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm - Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines
Tuesday, February 22: 2pm – semi-finals
Thursday, February 24: 2pm – final
UAE squad: Ahmed Raza (captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia
All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv
Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Men's football draw
Group A: UAE, Spain, South Africa, Jamaica
Group B: Bangladesh, Serbia, Korea
Group C: Bharat, Denmark, Kenya, USA
Group D: Oman, Austria, Rwanda
The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20synchronous%20electric%20motors%20%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E646hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E830Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETwo-speed%20auto%20(rear%20axle)%3B%20single-speed%20auto%20(front)%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh552%2C311%3B%20Dh660%2C408%20(as%20tested)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
SCORES
Yorkshire Vikings 144-1 in 12.5 overs
(Tom Kohler 72 not out, Harry Broook 42 not out)
bt Hobart Hurricanes 140-7 in 20 overs
(Caleb Jewell 38, Sean Willis 35, Karl Carver 2-29, Josh Shaw 2-39)
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Previous men's records
- 2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
- 2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
- 2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
- 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
- 2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
- 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
- 2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
- 2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
- 2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
- 2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
Abdul Jabar Qahraman was meeting supporters in his campaign office in the southern Afghan province of Helmand when a bomb hidden under a sofa exploded on Wednesday.
The blast in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah killed the Afghan election candidate and at least another three people, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told reporters. Another three were wounded, while three suspects were detained, he said.
The Taliban – which controls much of Helmand and has vowed to disrupt the October 20 parliamentary elections – claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mr Qahraman was at least the 10th candidate killed so far during the campaign season, and the second from Lashkar Gah this month. Another candidate, Saleh Mohammad Asikzai, was among eight people killed in a suicide attack last week. Most of the slain candidates were murdered in targeted assassinations, including Avtar Singh Khalsa, the first Afghan Sikh to run for the lower house of the parliament.
The same week the Taliban warned candidates to withdraw from the elections. On Wednesday the group issued fresh warnings, calling on educational workers to stop schools from being used as polling centres.
The Comeback: Elvis And The Story Of The 68 Special
Simon Goddard
Omnibus Press
