You can’t drink oil, gas or coal. Too much rain here. Too little rain there. Storm surges and rising sea levels have been linked to climate change, but at the other end of the spectrum come the droughts.
California is in a severe drought. January is normally the wettest month, but this one was the driest since record keeping began in 1849 with no measurable rain in many parts of the state including San Francisco. - The Week (2/13/15) from The Wall Street Journal
Brazil has 1/8 of the world’s fresh water, but... Sao Paulo’s 11 million people are running out of water. A prolonged severe drought has the reservoirs drained and taps dry for several days each week. Predictions are for the reservoirs to be completely dry this year. Human activity has driven the situation. Deforestation has destroyed wetlands that replenished the reservoirs and nearby rivers are heavily polluted. - The Week (2/27/15)
Water problems are also hitting Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais, but the worst impact is in Sao Paulo where a leaked recording had a water utility official saying people may have to be told to flee because there will be no water for basic hygiene or sanitation. Some smaller cities have canceled the carnival festivities because of lack of water. Geraldo Alckmin, the governor of Sao Paulo State, said: “Climate change has arrived to stay. When it rains, it rains too much, and when there’s drought, it’s way too dry.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/17/world/americas/drought-pushes-sao-paulo-brazil-toward-water-crisis.html?_r=0