drought
World Peace Requires Access to Safe Water
In drought-ravaged East Africa, the cracks in the plains echo the fault lines splitting tribes. Across the globe, the devastation of deadly brawls is being exacerbated by tensions over access to water. Water crises, often worsened by governance failures, can…
World’s Largest River Floods Five Times More Often Than It Used to
Extreme floods have become more frequent in the Amazon Basin in just the last two to three decades, according to a new study. After analyzing 113 years of Amazon River levels in Port of Manaus, Brazil, researchers found that severe…
Climate Change Driving Global Hunger Increase, Warns UN
Climate change and extreme weather conditions such as droughts and floods are among the key drivers behind the rise in global hunger. The warning from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) comes in a new report, which adds changes…
UK Public Urged to Use Water Wisely
The public is being urged to use water wisely as the UK environment “suffered” due to the heatwave between May and July. The call from the National Drought Group comes after a meeting, chaired by Environment Agency (EA) Chief Executive…
Drought Increases CO2 Concentration in the Atmosphere, Say Researchers
The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere rises faster during periods of drought as stressed ecosystems absorb less carbon. That’s according to new research, which found during the driest years such as in 2015, natural ecosystems removed around…
Sweden’s Reindeer at Risk of Starvation After Summer Drought
Sweden’s indigenous Sami reindeer herders are demanding state aid to help them cope with the impact of this summer’s unprecedented drought and wildfires, saying their future is at risk as global warming changes the environment in the far north. The…
Trees Are Migrating West to Escape Climate Change
An individual tree has roots and, of course, it doesn’t move. But trees, as a species, do move over time. They migrate in response to environmental challenges, especially climate change. Surprisingly, they don’t all go to the Poles, where it…