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100% organic Sikkim shortlisted for FAO's Future Policy Award
11 Oct, 2018
Sikkim’s achievement in becoming the world’s first totally organic agriculture state has gotten it a place on the shortlist of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Future Policy Award. The FAO said that the award “will celebrate policies that create enabling environments that advance” a transition to sustainable food and agriculture systems that are crucial to achieving sustainable development and climate resilience.
https://www.sentinelassam.com/news/100-organic-sikkim-shortlisted-for-food-and-agriculture-organisations-future-policy-award/
Key to boost nitrogen efficiency in rice found
2 Oct, 2018
Nitrogen use in soils is among the most important activities that determine crop health and productivity. For generations, the efficient use of fertiliser nitrogen content by plants has been limited due to various challenges. In a significant finding, Indian researchers have identified the key to breaking this barrier in the rice crop.
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/key-to-increasing-nitrogen-efficiency-in-rice-found/article25103098.ece
Research team develops corn that can grow in dry conditions
5 Oct, 2018
There is a crop in Australia that researchers think has all the key elements to become the food and fuel of the future. An international research team has found they can increase corn productivity by targeting the enzyme in charge of capturing CO2 from the atmosphere. Maize, or corn, is a staple food for billions of people around the world, with more maize grown annually than rice or wheat.
https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/research-team-develops-corn-that-can-grow-in-dry-conditions/news-story/f15cbfc38f90eb86658f320576203226
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CLIMATE CHANGE
We have 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe, warns UN
8 Oct, 2018
The world’s leading climate scientists have warned there is only a dozen years for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5C, beyond which even half a degree will significantly worsen the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/08/global-warming-must-not-exceed-15c-warns-landmark-un-report
Polar Bears may soon feast on Whale carcasses due to global warming
10 Oct, 2018
Climate change is bringing the heat for polar bears—and things are not looking good. The latest development is a shift in their diet, which may soon include regular gorging on blubbery whale carcasses, scientists say. The planet’s rising temperatures are steadily melting northerly sea ice, which Arctic polar bears depend on to access their favorite seal-flavored suppers. During the warmer months, when the ice sheets shatter, some bears simply fast on land, waiting until hunting bridges freeze again.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/polar-bears-may-soon-feast-whale-carcasses-global-warming-blame-180970506/
10 ways to accelerate progress against climate change
10 Oct, 2018
Climate scientists told in a long-awaited United Nations report that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius would require a gargantuan global effort and that we have roughly 12 years to do it. One bright spot in the report is that we already have the tools we need. The emissions we need to focus on now are the ones at the industrial, corporate level, not at the individual level.
https://www.vox.com/2018/10/10/17952334/climate-change-global-warming-un-ipcc-report-solutions-carbon-tax-electric-vehicles
[Top]
DROUGHTS
Australia issues El Nino alert, warns drought conditions may worsen
10 Oct,
2018
Australia has a 70 percent chance of being affected by the El Nino phenomenon by the end of the year, which would aggravate the severe drought suffered by several parts of its territory, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has said. The experts warned of the effects of a positive Indian Ocean dipole, in which the warmer waters near Africa will drag moisture away from Australia.
https://www.thestatesman.com/world/australia-issues-el-nino-alert-warns-drought-conditions-may-worsen-1502695118.html
Link between gastro bug and drought investigated by ANU study
11 Oct, 2018
Suffering gastro is far from the most enjoyable experience — and now research has shed some light on the weather conditions that cause more people to endure it. An 11-year Australian National University study of gastro cases in the ACT and parts of Queensland along the Murray Darling Basin found cases dropped 84 and 57 percent respectively when the big drought ended in 2009. Lead researcher Doctor Aparna Lal said low river volume and flow during dry conditions causes a high concentration of the pathogens that cause the illness.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-11/drought-leads-to-far-higher-cases-of-gastro-anu-study-finds/10361762
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FLOODS
Heavy rains and flash floods hit Spain’s Mallorca, killing at least 8
10 Oct,
2018
The Spanish island of Mallorca was hit by heavy rains and flash floods on Tuesday night, leaving roads destroyed and at least eight dead. Rescuers are searching for several people still missing following torrential rain which has cut off the town of Sant Llorenc des Cardassar in the east of the island, the worst-affected locality.
https://globalnews.ca/video/4532353/heavy-rains-and-flash-floods-hit-spains-mallorca-killing-at-least-8
At least 22 killed in Indonesia floods, landslides
13 Oct,
2018
At least 22 people have died and many are missing after heavy rain unleashed flash floods and landslides in western Indonesia, an official said Saturday. Heavy downpours since Wednesday triggered flooding and landslides that hit several districts on Sumatra island. At least 17 people were confirmed killed in the last three days in North Sumatra province, while five others were killed in West Sumatra, authorities said.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/around-22-killed-in-indonesia-floods-and-landslides-1931545
Rising seas are swallowing Scotland's Stone Age ruins
7 Oct,
2018
Scotland’s Orkney Islands contain some of the best remaining examples of structures from the Neolithic Period. These Stone Age buildings have drawn archaeologists and tourists because there are very few similar sites left in the world. Unfortunately, many of these 5,000-year-old remnants won’t be around for too much longer. A recent report said that many of the sites on the Orkneys are under threat due to climate change.
https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/climate-weather/stories/rising-seas-are-swallowing-scotlands-stone-age-ruins
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FOOD SECURITY
Empowered women farmers can help fight malnutrition
4 Oct, 2018
Nutrition has been a focal point of the human development efforts in India for the right reasons. However, for women, it attains special importance because of the intergenerational carry over of the impacts through children. The nutritional status of women can make or mar entire generations, thereby carving a deep furrow on the nation’s human resources pool over time.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/empowered-women-farmers-can-help-fight-malnutrition/story-bauYMRfT8sAQc2zCGHHsFP.html
'Flexitarian' diets key to feeding people in a warming world
11 Oct, 2018
If the world wants to limit climate change, water scarcity and pollution, then we all need to embrace "flexitarian" diets, say scientists. This means eating mainly plant-based foods, and is one of three key steps towards a sustainable future for all in 2050, they say. Food waste will need to be halved and farming practices will also have to improve, according to the study.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45814659
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IRRIGATION
Drip irrigation market size is projected to be around US$ 7 billion by 2024
9 Oct,
2018
The Global Drip Irrigation Market is expected to exceed more than US$ 7.14 Billion by 2024 at a CAGR of 11.60% in the given forecast period. Dripper water system is the best technique to utilize the least amount of water for higher yield. The point is to empower little scale and poor farmers to use proficiently peripheral amounts of water and to develop home patio nurseries and other land for the generation of nourishment required for the family and some trade.
https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/drip-irrigation-market-size-is-projected-to-be-around-us-7-billion-by-2024-2018-10-09
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WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
E. coli bacteria present in 80pc of water taps in Bangladesh: World Bank
11 Oct, 2018
A World Bank report recently released found that E. coli bacteria was present in 80 percent of private piped-water taps sampled across the country, a similar rate to water retrieved from ponds. It said though 98 percent of Bangladesh population has access to water from technologically improved water sources, the water quality is poor. According to health experts, most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in their hosts, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls due to food contamination.
http://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/e-coli-bacteria-present-in-80pc-of-water-taps-in-bangladesh-world-bank/4025
Facing water risk head-on with IoT enabled technology
10 Oct, 2018
Anglian Water, a utility operator serving six million customers in England, is addressing water risk by implementing a new smart water solution that will help the company pinpoint leaks quickly and meet regulatory goals of reducing leakage targets by at least 15% by 2025. The new, web-based solution leverages the Internet of Things (IoT) to gather information from a variety of data sources, allowing Anglian to compare real-time information with historic data to pinpoint water leaks quickly.
https://www.environmentalleader.com/2018/10/178512/
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
5th International Symposium on Dam Safety, 27-31 October 2018, Istanbul, Turkey
Website: http://www.damsafety2018.com/
9th International Micro Irrigation Conference (9IMIC), 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 @ https://bit.ly/2Q6OU
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