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FAO and Partners call for innovative solutions to agricultural production
25 July, 2018
Stakeholders in the agricultural sector have underscored the need to promote technology, innovation and highly impactful solutions as a necessary step towards improved production, sustainability and long-term development of the Palestinian agricultural sector. This was discussed during a round table workshop on “Reviving the Agricultural Sector through Knowledge Transfer and Innovation”, which was jointly convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), National Agriculture Research Centre (NARC), Portland Trust and other key partners.
http://english.pnn.ps/2018/07/25/27341/
New cotton plants engineered to outcompete weeds
24 July,
2018
Texas A&M University researchers have developed cotton plants that utilize a form of phosphorus that allows them to outcompete weeds, particularly Palmer amaranth/pigweed, thus offering “a novel alternative” to herbicides that are becoming increasingly ineffective as more weed species become resistant to glyphosate and other widely-used chemistries.
https://www.deltafarmpress.com/cotton/new-cotton-plants-engineered-outcompete-weeds
App for pepper farmers to monitor global market
11 July,
2018
Pepper farmers will be able to adopt the best cultivation practices at their fingertips with the launch of the International Pepper Community (IPC) Farmers App. The app will enable them to monitor the latest news in the global pepper market and monitor prices. The app, available on the Google Play Store and App Store, would be available in all local languages, and work without Internet.
https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2018/07/12/app-for-pepper-farmers-to-monitor-global-market/
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Killer heat the new normal in a world with climate change
25 July,
2018
From Texas to Japan, the records keep tumbling. Scorching heat across swathes of the Northern Hemisphere has killed dozens of people, triggered wildfires and turned parts of normally green Britain a desert brown. It is climate change that is driving the shift to extreme conditions. Climate scientists said that as the earth continues to warm, hotter temperatures and more intense droughts are to be expected. It is the new normal and nations need to adapt, experts said.
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/killer-heat-the-new-normal-in-a-world-with-climate-change
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DROUGHTS
Sweden battles 21 raging wildfires amid worst drought in 74 years
24 July, 2018
A heatwave has caused the temperature in Sweden to rise to above 30C, a significant leap from the usual summer measurement of 23C. This heatwave has been unprecedented and the usually mild country has been under-equipped to deal with such highs. Sweden issued a plea for international help following the increased scale of fire outbreak. The intense temperatures have caused the worst drought in 74 years for the country, with farmers struggling to grow crops and feed cattle.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/993472/Sweden-fire-map-Sweden-wildfires-drought-heatwave
In Greece, drought-fueled wildfires kill dozens
24 July, 2018
Wildfires raging near Athens, Greece have killed dozens of people, in one of the deadliest blazes in recent history. High winds and extreme temperatures have pushed the fires further than most believed possible, catching tourists and residents off guard. Officials say that so far, at least 49 people have been killed, with at least 172 injured and 15 missing.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a22530416/in-greece-drought-fueled-wildfires-kill-dozens/
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FLOODS
Flooding from Laos hydroelectric dam leaves hundreds missing
20 July, 2018
Massive flooding from a South Korean-constructed hydroelectric dam in Laos left several people dead and hundreds missing, media reported. Rescue efforts were underway as top government officials rushed to the site and public appeals were launched for aid.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/hundreds-missing-hydroelectric-dam-collapses-laos-56774652
Beavers released in Forest of Dean as solution to flooding: UK
24 July,
2018
Four hundred years after the beaver was hunted to extinction in the UK, two of the mammals have been reintroduced on government land in an English forest as part of a scheme to assess whether they could be a solution to flooding. Two Eurasian beavers were released into their new lodge within a large penned-off section of the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. The hope is that the animals will build dams and create ponds on Greathough Brook, which feeds into the River Wye, and slow the flow of water through the steep-sided, wooded valley at times of torrential rainfall.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/24/beavers-forest-dean-possible-flooding-solution
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FOOD SECURITY
Human population consumed a year’s worth of Earth’s natural resources in 7 months, sets record
24 July, 2018
Human beings have just exhausted the planet’s supply of natural resources – meaning we are ‘in the red’ from 1 August. Every year, ‘Overshoot Day’ – the point where we go into ecological ‘debt’, in terms of the amount of carbon we emit, and crops we use up – comes earlier. Overshoot day was first conceived in 2006, and shows how much human beings are overusing our resources (via overfishing and overharvesting).
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/earth-will-used-whole-years-worth-resources-next-week-072104117.html
New scholarly focus needed to help solve global food crisis, experts say
23 July, 2018
The global food system is unsustainable and urgently needs an overhaul. Yet current approaches to finding solutions through applied academic research are too narrow and treat the food system as a collection of isolated components within established disciplines such as agronomy, sociology or nutritional science.
https://phys.org/news/2018-07-scholarly-focus-global-food-crisis.html
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IRRIGATION
Telangana drawing plan to link projects, canals with minor irrigation tanks: India
15 July,
2018
In a step that will go a long way in conserving water, the Telangana government is working on a blueprint to connect all projects and canals with minor irrigation tanks in the state. In this way, rainwater and river water will be stored in irrigation tanks. Chain system will be developed for this so that the excess water from one tank will be diverted to another tank.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2018/jul/15/telangana-drawing-plan-to-link-projects-canals-with-minor-irrigation-tanks-1843570.html
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WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Researchers study alternative method to desalinate water
25 July, 2018
With water sustainability at the forefront of Qatar’s priorities, Dr. Sami G al-Ghamdi, assistant professor within Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) College of Science and Engineering’s Sustainable Development Division, and his research group are analysing urban water supply technologies, environmental impacts of the built environment’s hydrologic cycles, and potential mitigation strategies like renewable energy for Qatar.
http://www.gulf-times.com/story/600642/Researchers-study-alternative-method-to-desalinate
Project launched to improve water resource management on Greek islands
14 July, 2018
A consortium of 27 universities, technical companies and local authorities launched in Greece this week an innovative research project for the valorization of water resources. Starting from three Greek islands, the project aims to promote novel usages for water quantities that would otherwise be discarded such as wastewater.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-07/14/c_137324222.htm
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
ICID Upcoming Webinar: Negotiations for Resolution of Trans-boundary Water Conflicts on 1 August 2018, Wednesday @ 14:30 hrs (IST); Speaker: Hon. Karlene Maywald, Chair ICE WaRM. For more details, please visit: http://www.icid.org/icid_webinar.html
International Conference and 69th International Executive Council Meeting of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, 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/
Global Water Security for Agriculture and Natural Resources (GWSAN), 3-6 October 2018, Hyderabad, India: An ASABE Global Initiative Conference.
Website: http://www.asabewater.org/
5th International Symposium on Dam Safety, 27-31 October 2018, Istanbul, Turkey
Website: http://www.damsafety2018.com/
9th International Micro Irrigation Conference, 16-18 January 2019, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India on the theme: Micro Irrigation in Modern Agriculture.
Website: http://micro-irrigation2019.com/
International Dam Safety Conference 2019, 13-14 February 2019, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India
Website: www.damsafety.in/idsc2019
3rd World Irrigation Forum (WIF3) and 70th International Executive Council Meeting, 1-7 September 2019, Bali, Indonesia on the theme: Development for water, food and nutrition security in a competitive environment.
Website: http://www.icid2019.org/
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LATEST PUBLICATION(S)
Water Productivity Mapping of Major Indian Crops 2018, published by NABARD
The study on Water Productivity Mapping of Major Indian Crops presents for the first time, maps on the water productivity of ten major Indian crops across cultivating districts and states. It builds on the expectation that if key decisions regarding irrigation, cropping patterns, input pricing, and incentive structures are predicated on water productivity of crops, it would ensure that water in agriculture is distributed more widely, water-use efficiency is enhanced, and Indian agriculture becomes more sustainable and productive in the long run. Thus, the study seeks to inform targeted policies and investment interventions for meeting the twin objectives of har khet ko pani (water to every field) and ‘more crop per drop’. The report will encourage policy makers to take note of and trigger an effective response to the looming water crisis faced by the agriculture sector in India. The book has been released as an Open Access and may be downloaded @ http://icrier.org/pdf/Water_Productivity_Mapping_of_Major_Indian_Crops.pdf
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