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Governing Aquifers Across Borders Critical For Cooperation and Peace
September 28th, 2022
Via SIWI, commentary on the importance of governing aquifers across borders for cooperation and peace: History contains many examples of conflicts involving the poisoning of wells to deny enemies access to potable water. Groundwater is at risk also in modern warfare; shared aquifers may be depleted by more technically advanced countries capable of drilling deep boreholes and installing powerful pumps that neighbouring states or communities do not have access to. Civil war situations can be aggravated […]
Read more »Is 2022 The Driest Year Recorded?
September 18th, 2022
Via BBC, a look at the world’s drought: Europe and parts of China have experienced extreme temperatures this summer, dry conditions in Africa have put millions at risk of starvation, and the American West continues to see a persistent lack of rainfall. Scientists say warmer and drier seasons are likely to become the norm, but […]
Read more »From Asia to Africa: Tentacles of Oil Palm Plantations are Squeezing Communities Dry
September 17th, 2022
Via the World Rainforest Movement, an article on how oil palm plantations are squeezing communities dry: There are no other commodity crops that have grown faster globally in the last decade than palm oil. Vegetable oil production increased 118 per cent in the last ten years alone, the majority of it is driven by the […]
Read more »WarWilding: The Startling Effects Of Using Nature As A Weapon
September 7th, 2022
Via The Guardian, an interesting article that brings to light the dichotomy of water wars with the idea that wars can actually support the environment in unexpected ways: During the early days of the Russia-Ukraine war, the invading force was approaching the Irpin River and the gates of the Ukrainian capital. But the river waters […]
Read more »Water Scarcity, Water Security: A Diplomatic Perspective
September 4th, 2022
Via U.S. Department of State, commentary on water scarcity and water security: When animated comedy Rango premiered in the United States in March 2011, severe droughts were desiccating large swaths of the country’s central and southern plains. The timing was unfortunate, because the movie follows titular character Rango, an out-of-place chameleon, and his journey to fix the […]
Read more »Drought Declared Across Large Parts of England
August 12th, 2022
Courtesy of the Financial Times, an article on the drought affecting England: A drought has been formally declared across large swaths of England, as the UK experiences its driest summer for 50 years, the Environment Agency said on Friday. Drought status had been confirmed for eight of England’s 14 areas, spanning the south, east, south […]
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