News In Brief

Think tank warns of possible regional water crises in '90s

The Ethiopian drought foreshadows widespread regional water crises in the 1990s that could rival the energy crisis of the last decade, according to a new study by a Washington-based think tank.

Falling water tables and shrinking lakes and inland seas and rivers that once flowed year-round but now fade to dry beds after rainy seasons indicate a widespread overuse and mismanagement of water resources, the Worldwatch Institute said in a study released Saturday.