Middle East
Plant Pandemics are Affecting up to 30 percent of Major Food Crops – and They’re Getting Worse
Plant disease surveillance, improved detection systems, and global predictive disease modeling are necessary to mitigate future disease outbreaks and protect the global food supply, according to a team of researchers. Plant diseases don’t stop at national borders and miles of…
Tourism Brings Us Together and Travel Restrictions Keep Us Apart
More importantly, restrictions on travel also prevent tourism from delivering on its potential to build a better future for all. This week the United Nations Secretary-General launched the Policy Brief “COVID-19 and Transforming Tourism”, which UNWTO assumed the lead role…
International Tourist Numbers Could Fall 60-80% in 2020, UNWTO Reports
International tourism down 22% in Q1 and could decline by 60-80% over the whole year 67 million fewer international tourists up to March translates into US$80 billion in lost exports UNWTO has outlined three possible future scenarios depending on how…
Renewables Account for Almost Three Quarters of New Capacity in 2019
The renewable energy sector added 176 gigawatts (GW) of generating capacity globally in 2019, marginally lower than the (revised) 179 GW added in 2018. However, new renewable power accounted for 72 per cent of all power expansion last year, according…
Extreme Water Stress Affects a Quarter of the World’s Population, Say Experts
A quarter of the world’s population across 17 countries are living in regions of extremely high water stress, a measure of the level of competition over water resources, a new report reveals. Experts at the World Resources Institute (WRI) warned…
Will Burberry Set a Green Trend with New 2022 Emissions Goal?
Burberry has committed to slash its direct emissions by 95% in the next three years. The luxury fashion brand set the target against a 2016 baseline and has had the ambition independently assessed and approved by the Science-Based Targets Initiative…
Saudi Arabia to Build 2.6GW Solar Plant near Mecca
Saudi Arabia has signed a deal for a 2.6GW solar farm to be built in the Makkah Region. The facility, which will be located near the holy city of Mecca, will supply electricity to Al Faisaliah city and the western…