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Agriculture in Africa: Potential versus reality
21 February 2017
With more than 60% of its 1.166 billion people living in rural areas, Africa’s economy is inherently dependent on agriculture. More than 32% of the continent’s gross domestic product comes from the sector.
http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/agriculture-africa-potential-versus-reality/
Why we need more youth in agriculture
21 February 2017
Uganda is mainly an agricultural country and agriculture employs a greater percentage of people.
http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1446721/youth-agriculture
Belarus, Moldova to expand cooperation in agriculture
23 February 2017
Belarus and Moldova intend to expand cooperation in agriculture and to implement ambitious joint projects. This issue was raised during a meeting between Belarusian Ambassador to Moldova Sergei Chichuk and Moldova's Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Eduard Grama, BelTA has learned from the Belarusian embassy to Moldova.
http://eng.belta.by/economics/view/belarus-moldova-to-expand-cooperation-in-agriculture-98968-2017/
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Spring coming sooner to Arctic due to climate change
24 February 2017
Nature’s clock is running fast in the Arctic, thanks to climate change. Due to diminishing sea ice cover, spring is coming sooner to some plant species in the low Arctic of Greenland, while other species are delaying their emergence amid warming winters, says a study
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/spring-coming-sooner-to-arctic-due-to-climate-change/article17361780.ece
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DROUGHTS
Drought in Somalia: Time is Running Out
20 February 2017
Horn of Africa is in the grips of a drought that has affected nearly half the population.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2017/02/drought-somalia-time-running-170213111737077.html
Brazil's poorest region suffers worst drought in a century
21 February 2017
The semiarid northeast of Brazil, known as the Sertao, is used to rain shortages but no one can remember a drought like this. There has been almost no rain since 2012 and the leafless, desiccated landscape has the appearance of having been in a vast fire.
Rivers and reservoirs that used to serve rural populations are not coping. The authorities estimate that reserves are at six percent capacity, with some completely emptied.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/world/america/210217/brazils-poorest-region-suffers-worst-drought-in-a-century.html
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FLOODS
Flood from lake created by landslide closes major highway in Bosnia
25 February 2017
Flooding from a new lake created by a landslide in central Bosnia has shut down one of the country’s main highways. Earlier this week, a major landslide from huge piles of mine waste from an open pit coal mine had blocked a river near the central town of Kakanj, creating the lake.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/flood-from-lake-created-by-landslide-closes-major-highway-in-bosnia/story-DVXIgwZXeHnrjK3myOTESJ.html
Every 200 Years, California Endures a Flood of Epic Proportions - and This Could Be It
22 February 2017
Record-breaking rains in California have brought on its wettest winter in decades, with rainfall hitting almost 200 percent above average in certain parts, and drought-affected areas in the state dropping by 22 percent in a single week.
http://www.sciencealert.com/every-200-years-california-endures-a-flood-of-epic-proportions-and-this-could-be-it
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FOOD SECURITY
Scientists warn armyworm invasion to endanger East Africa’s food security
26 February 2017
Small-scale farmers across the East African region are likely to grapple with severe food insecurity due to the recent fall armyworm invasion on key staples, scientists warned.
https://www.newsghana.com.gh/scientists-warn-armyworm-invasion-to-endanger-east-africas-food-security/
Achieving food security in a climate-challenged future
Bangladesh, 26 February 2017
Food insecurity is a daily reality for almost 60 million people living in urban and rural areas in Bangladesh. The children and women are disproportionately affected. Nearly 41 percent of children under the age of five are chronically undernourished; 36 percent stunted; and 16 percent of children under five weigh less than they should for their height. Furthermore, only 25 percent of children consume daily diets that adequately meet dietary diversity. Among adult women, 24 percent are underweight and 13 percent are stunted.
http://www.thedailystar.net/environment-and-climate-action/achieving-food-security-climate-challenged-future-1367065
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IRRIGATION
Spanish project for smart irrigation praised by international jury
23 January 2017
The water deficit in the province of Almeria and, the global shortage in general, has motivated Expanhouse to develop a solution: an irrigation system that can save up to 50% of water and fertiliser compared to traditional drip irrigation. The project consists in the use of small deposits of porous ceramic material buried next to the roots, which release the water as the plants require it. The immediate advantages of the system are the practical elimination of evaporation and infiltration in the soil, almost reducing them to zero. As a result, the soil surface remains dry and the impact of pests and weeds is reduced, which entails savings in labour, pesticides and herbicides.
http://www.freshplaza.com/article/171358/Spanish-project-for-smart-irrigation-praised-by-international-jury
Automatic irrigation projects completed in Abu Dhabi
25 February 2017
Authorities said that migrating from traditional to automated irrigation systems required developing a central control irrigation system of high efficiency.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/abu-dhabi/automatic-irrigation-projects-completed-in-abu-dhabi
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WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
How to use less water to have more? Look to Europe
23 February 2017
For the first time in 17 years, Singapore is raising water prices. Specifics of the price hike have not yet been discussed, but the objectives are clear: to conserve water through lower use, to raise funds for building and maintaining water infrastructure, and to ensure our water needs will be met in the future.
http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/how-to-use-less-water-to-have-more-look-to-europe
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
13th International Drainage Workshop (IDW), Ahwaz City, Iran, 4-7 March 2017, Theme: Drainage and Environmental Sustainability.
Website:http://idw13.org
68th IEC and 23rd ICID Congress on Irrigation and Drainage, 8-14 October 2017, on the theme: Modernizing Irrigation and Drainage for a new Green Revolution, Mexico City, Mexico, 8-14 October 2017.
Website: http://www.icid2017.org/
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LATEST PUBLICATION(S)
National Agriculture Policy, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, September 2016.
Agriculture remains the mainstay of Malawi’s economy, contributing significantly to employment, economic growth, export earnings, poverty reduction, food security, and nutrition. It also plays a critical role in ensuring sustainable use of natural resources. All of these pose a threat to food security and nutrition in the face of a growing population, increased land pressure, and climate change. In trying to address these challenges in the past, Malawi has over-concentrated on maize self-sufficiency for food and tobacco as a cash crop, at the expense of other agricultural commodities, including livestock and fisheries. Moreover, the sector remains predominantly subsistence-oriented. In response, the NAP seeks to sustainably transform the sector from subsistence to a market orientation in order to increase agricultural production, marketed surpluses of commodities, and real incomes.
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/NAP_Final_Signed.pdf
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