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AfDB to invest US$24 billion in agriculture in next 10 years
28 July2017
The African Development Bank (AfDB) will invest US $24 billion dollars in agriculture as part of its Feed Africa programme- a strategy for agricultural development in Africa.
http://reliefweb.int/report/world/afdb-invest-us24-billion-agriculture-next-10-years
Is it time to embrace commercial agriculture?
30 July 2017
According to the United Nation, three African countries including Nigeria are facing serious food crisis with nearly 16 million people in the affected countries being at the risk of dying of hunger within few months. The other two countries in similar situation are Somalia and South Sudan.
http://www.businessdayonline.com/time-embrace-commercial-agriculture
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change may cause more rain, nitrogen runoff
29 July 2017
An intensifying water cycle will likely cause dramatic increases - nearing 20 percent by 2100 - in the amount of nitrogen runoff in the U.S., according to a new study.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/climate-change-may-cause-more-rain-nitrogen-runoff-117072900203_1.html
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DROUGHTS
Italy drought: No water rationing in Rome
31 July 2017
The Lazio region had mulled a measure to stagger water supply shutdowns in certain neighbourhoods of the capital for eight hours a day.
The region's rationing threat followed the decision to stop withdrawing water from Lake Bracciano, close to Rome, because it had dropped to such a low level that it risked sparking an environmental disaster.
https://www.thelocal.it/20170731/italy-drought-no-water-rationing-in-rome
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FLOODS
What is the impact of floods on India’s GDP?
1 August 2017
Average losses due to floods as a share of India GDP have declined over the decades, even as the impact on various states has been different
http://www.livemint.com/Politics/M1cZ2bfYHSG7yCdHHvUozN/Are-floods-causing-more-damage-these-days.html
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FOOD SECURITY
Farm fresh and harvested at home in Dubai
1 August
Dubai Municipality’s ‘Grow Your Food’ Campaign has led to a harvest of kitchen gardens across the emirate as more and more residents become farmers, eat organic produce and support the environment
http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/society/farm-fresh-and-harvested-at-home-in-dubai-1.2066020
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IRRIGATION
Master Gardeners: Water smarter, not harder by using drip irrigation
29 July 2017
Why should you choose drip irrigation? The advantages are many. It uses less water than conventional methods (90 percent or higher water efficiency); it is easy to install by the home gardener; the system is easily customized to your garden; the water is applied at a slow rate so is more easily absorbed by plant roots; the water is applied to the root zone rather than the foliage, thus reducing disease problems; and it reduces weed growth.
http://www.yakimaherald.com/lifestyle/home_and_garden/master-gardeners-water-smarter-not-harder-by-using-drip-irrigation/article_25c55466-74ac-11e7-a16c-831918866984.html
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WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Plants in place to turn sewage into potable water
31 July 2017
A REPORT released by the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas by 2025 and reuse of wastewater will become one of the important strategies in increasing water resources availability.
http://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/letters/2017/07/31/plants-in-place-to-turn-sewage-into-potable-water/#zHtUX4cY2iGTSQ54.99
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
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/
8th Asian Regional Conference, 2-4 May 2018, Kathmandu, Nepal, on the theme of “Irrigation in Support of an Evergreen Revolution”
Website:http://nencid.org.np/
69th IEC & Regional Conference, 12–17 August, 2018, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, on the theme: Innovative and Sustainable Agri-water Management: Adapting to a Variable and Changing Climate.
Website: http://www.icid2018.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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