1. WHEN RIVERS RUN DRY QUESTIONS
Chapter 2- Obviously the treaty regarding one third of the water flowing into Mexico
from the Rio Grande needs to be reformed? What are your ideas on how to reform it?
Chapter 3- If water shortages continue will more people relocate to these water rich areas
with low population, or will water rich countries start exporting?
Chapter 4- Could the salt poisoning the field be taken care of by restructuring the dam
system?
Chapter 5- In an attempt to preserve the underground water and environment, should their
be a limit to how deep a well can be drilled?
Chapter 6- Is pumping the water to where the people want to live worth the soil damaged
by salt causing massive agriculture problems such as oranges the size of ping pong balls.
Chapter 7- Should Bangladesh be cut off from world support until they spend the money
provided to them to fix the arsenic problem?
Chapter 8- If countries are tapping into underground water that is not being replaced by
the rain, will water cease to exist in these parts when the aquifers run out?
Chapter 9- Since the wetlands are crucial to many species will we see the entire
ecosystem collapse if the wetlands disappear?
Chapter 10- Why was Lake Chad declining so much? Why didn’t the countries take
immediate action when they noticed the lake shrinking?
Chapter 11- Why did the new canals take six times more water to irrigate an acre than the
old one they had just replaced?
Chapter 12- If immediate actions were taken would the Mekong River be able to thrive
once again?
Chapter 13- Why does the commission official for the Yellow river only want to solve
the crops even if it does waste tons more water?
Chapter 14- Is there is no way to store the extra that has melted in the beginning of the
glacier melting for later?
Chapter 15- Decisions to build dams were, “political, benefiting particular politicians or
their benefactors rather than solving a problem” how does building a dam help a
politician?

2. Chapter 16- the book talks about the evaporated water from the dam reservoir end up as
rainwater somewhere else which is, “a lot of water to mislay.” Won’t most of the
rainwater still be used either recollected in the dam reservoir or another way?
Chapter 17- Why are dam operators not releasing water in the reservoir before the rain
season begins?
Chapter 18- Why is U.S. aid paying for a desalination plant in the Mediterranean when
their government and world councils should be paying for it?
Chapter 19- Do all wells draw from an aquifer? If so how long have we been drawing
out of these aquifers without knowing the consequences?
Chapter 20- Could treaties signed today about how to share water of rivers and streams
that pass through several countries prevent future water wars or even with the treaties will
water wars still happen?
Chapter 21- If early civilizations knew the importance of keeping water levels correct at
what point did we stray away from that?
Chapter 22- Why would government officials allow Phoenix to import water without
putting restrictions on how much water they could use?
Chapter 23- Was it seen that if a country could overtake the southern U.S. in cotton
production, they would be the new superpower?
Chapter 24- What are the local officials of the Yangtze River receiving for allowing their
river supply being diverted to the Yellow river up north?
Chapter 25- In order to promote the distribution of sewage to farmers, should the
government give tax benefits to sewage companies that donate to the famers?
Chapter 26- How would the situation in the Imperial Valley be different if the
government had thought for the future instead of just fixing the current problems?
Chapter 27- Should governments allow cloud seeding to try and create more rain or no
seeding and limit the amount of water usage or a combination of both?
Chapter 28- Is it fair for the farmers of Rajsamadhiya to be prohibited to grow crops like
sugarcane? If they were allowed would it be fair to the other citizens?
Chapter 29- If the world started implementing rain harvesting systems, which were
successful, should we then donate water to rural African communities to give them a
chance to thrive.
Chapter 30- Are qanats available/possibly in all arid regions?

3. Chapter 31- After the continual flooding of New Orleans, why would the French, then
state government continue to try and build a city there?
Chapter 32- If all our dried marshes were filled would our rivers/entire water system flow
better? Would there be more water available to all people? Would people only use the
local water?
Chapter 33- Should homeowners take it upon themselves to make their home more water
efficient or leave it up to the government to figure out water supply?
Chapter 34- Is Pearce right in saying we need to treat water like the ultimate resource.
Not have it run through pipes and concrete before we can use it, but use it in its original
pure habitat. What is wrong with having water travel to different parts of the world?