Chinese agriculture’s eco-transformation 
06 August 2019 
Seventeen families gathered to take part in Time Farm’s sports day earlier this year, attracted perhaps by the unusual nature of the activities, which included a vegetable hauling competition and a weeding race. The eco-farm’s founder, Gu Yingjun, hoped the event would help promote ideas of agricultural sustainability and build closer links with his customers. 
https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/11423-Chinese-agriculture-s-eco-transformation 

 

16 Initiatives Redefining Food and Agriculture Across the Middle East 
01 August 2019 
The Middle East—home to the Fertile Crescent—introduced domesticated agriculture 12,000 years ago. Today, news from the region features conflict, urbanization, food and nutrition insecurity, natural resource scarcity, and climate change—challenges that have made the region into the world’s largest importer of food. 
https://foodtank.com/news/2019/08/16-initiatives-redefining-food-and-agriculture-across-the-middle-east/

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[[ CLIMATE CHANGE ]] 






 

Groundwater resources in Africa resilient to climate change 
07 August 2019 
Groundwater -- a vital source of water for drinking and irrigation across sub-Saharan Africa -- is resilient to climate variability and change, according to a new study led by UCL and Cardiff University. A consortium of 32 scientists from across Africa and beyond carried out the research, published in Nature, which shows how groundwater replenishment depends upon heavy rainfalls and flood events, amplified by climate change. 
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190807131928.htm 

 

Mega-Trees Are the New Weapon Against Climate Change 
08 August 2019 
Scientists caution that we probably can’t “plant our way out” of the climate crisis, but growing big trees and keeping them around is an important piece of the puzzle. 
https://www.thedailybeast.com/mega-trees-are-the-new-weapon-against-climate-change?source=articles&via=rss

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[[ DROUGHTS ]] 



 

Houseplants ability to survive drought can provide useful knowledge for the climate change era 
06 August 2019 
Researchers from the Natural History Museum of Denmark and the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, have in collaboration with researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in England, demonstrated that certain Aloe species shrink, or more scientifically speaking -- fold -- their cell walls together. In doing so, the plants preserve resources during drought. Concurrently, the carbohydrate (polysaccharide) composition of their cell walls are altered. The results have just been published in the journal Plant, Cell and Environment. 
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190806101607.htm 
 

Why Do Floods Follow Droughts? Look to Ethiopia. 
07 August 2019 
Since mid-April, heavy rainfall and flash floods have washed away livestock, homes and public buildings in the Somali Region of Ethiopia, affecting over 165,000 people along the Shabelle river. Ironically, flooding is common in areas that are prone to drought. When the ground is too dry, it can’t absorb rain fast enough, so the water runs over land, flooding the surrounding area. 
https://www.wfpusa.org/stories/floods-follow-droughts-ethiopia/

   


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[[ FLOODS ]] 





 

Even in cities, natural signs can warn of floods, researchers find 
07 August 2019 
Indigenous knowledge about how to spot flood risks ahead of time could save lives in cities, researchers said on Wednesday, as climate change and population growth put millions of people at risk of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. 
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-floods-nature-environment/even-in-cities-natural-signs-can-warn-of-floods-researchers-find-idUSKCN1UX1E7 
 

What you need to know about the link between sea-level rise and coastal flooding 
06 August 2019 
High-tide flooding – sometimes referred to as sunny day or nuisance flooding – is the official term NOAA uses to describe shoreline flooding that is not the result of a storm or some other weather event. As the warming climate melts glaciers and polar ice, sea levels are rising at rates even experts are having a hard time predicting. Tides are running generally higher as a result, and high-tide flooding is happening more and more. 

https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2019/08/the-link-between-sea-level-rise-and-coastal-flooding/

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[[ FOOD SECURITY ]] 
 




 

World food security increasingly at risk due to 'unprecedented' climate change impact, new UN report warns 
08 August 2019 
Speaking at the launch of a Special Report on Climate Change and Land by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in Geneva, experts highlighted how the rise in global temperatures, linked to increasing pressures on fertile soil, risked jeopardizing food security for the planet. 
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/08/1043921 
 

UAE and Saudi Arabia send Sudan half a million tonnes of food aid 
07 August 2019 
The UAE and Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday that they would send a combined aid package of 540,000 tonnes of wheat to Sudan. The donation will cover basic food needs for three months as part of efforts to support the Sudanese public and ease its crisis, the state news agency Wam reported. More than 280,000 tonnes of wheat have already been shipped to Sudan. 
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/uae-and-saudi-arabia-send-sudan-half-a-million-tonnes-of-food-aid-1.895591

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[[ IRRIGATION ]] 






Camera system tells farmers when crops need a drink 
08 August 2019 
A new camera system could allow farmers to precisely and inexpensively monitor and irrigate crops, researchers say. 
https://www.futurity.org/crops-monitoring-camera-irrigation-farmers-2127692-2/ 

 

Mechanized Irrigation Systems Industry to Witness a Healthy Growth During Forecast Period! 
07 August 2019 
The latest report on Mechanized Irrigation Systems Market Added by 360 Research Reports provides a concise analysis of the industry size, revenue forecast and regional spectrum of this business. The report further illustrates the major challenges and the latest growth strategies adopted by key players who are a part of the dynamic competitive spectrum of this industry. 
https://ghanasoccernet.com/mechanized-irrigation-systems-industry-to-witness-a-healthy-growth-during-forecast-periodstudy-growth-factors-opportunities-and-key-manufactures 
 

3 Ways Technology Is Changing the Food-Growing Industry 
05 August 2019 
It's happening right before our eyes -- robots have submitted their resumes and are taking over human jobs. Robotics is certainly the change that we can neither deny nor refuse, the very next thing in technology. 
https://www.mysanantonio.com/business/article/3-Ways-Technology-Is-Changing-the-Food-Growing-14276490.php 

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[[ WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ]] 







Observation-driven research to inform better groundwater management policies 
07 August 2019 
Groundwater maintains vital ecosystems and strongly influences water and energy budgets. Although at least 400 million people in sub-Saharan Africa depend on this valuable resource for their domestic water needs, the processes that sustain it and their sensitivity to climatic variability, are poorly understood. IIASA contributed to a study that looked into climate impacts on groundwater in light of changing climatic patterns in Africa. 
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-08/iifa-ort080519.php 
 

Dhaka, Delhi to conduct joint study on Ganges Barrage project 
09 August 2019 
Bangladesh and India on Thursday agreed to conduct a joint study on Ganges Barrage project and formed a technical committee to finalise the terms of reference (ToR) and constitute a larger panel to do the study, reports UNB. 
https://en.prothomalo.com/international/news/200097/Dhaka-Delhi-to-conduct-joint-study-on-Ganges 

 

Volume-Based Water Abstraction Fee Effective – WRA 
08 August 2019 
Jamaica: Managing Director of the Water Resources Authority (WRA), Peter Clarke, says that the volume-based fee for water abstraction has been effective.The fee was implemented in April 2018 for water abstraction across all 10 of the island’s hydrologic basins. 
https://jis.gov.jm/volume-based-water-abstraction-fee-effective-wra/ 

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3rd World Irrigation Forum (WIF3) and 70th International Executive Council Meeting, 1-7 September 2019, Bali, Indonesia 
Theme: Development for water, food and nutrition security in a competitive environment 
Website: https://icid2019.com/ 
 

International conference on Agriculture and Food Sustainability September 02-03, 2019 Rome, Italy 
Theme: Together Towards Tomorrow on Food Sustainability 
Website: https://foodmeet.foodtechconferences.com/ 

Water and Society 2019: 5th International Conference on Water and Society, 2 - 4 October 2019, Valencia, Spain. For more details, please visit: https://www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2019/water-and-society-2019 

3rd Annual Congress on Soil, Plant and Water Sciences, 11-12 November 2019, Madrid, Spain on the Theme: Invention of new significant tool for sustainable growth in soil, plant and natural resources on earth. Contact: Mr. Jack Watson, Program Manager. Email: socialscience@brainstromingmeetings.com, Website: https://soilscience.insightconferences.com/ 

Association Fran'aise pour l'Etude des Irrigations et du Drainage (AFEID), is organizing a two-day Conference on “Water Savings in Irrigation” from 13-14 November 2019 at Montpellier, France. 
The objectives of the Conference are : (a) Exchange around the levers of water saving and efficiency improvements in irrigation; (b) Share the quantitative feedback on water savings achieved by a change of equipment or the adoption of piloting tools in the different EU countries; (c) Share the methodologies used in the various European countries for the ex-ante evaluation of potential water savings; present the French methodology established at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture; and (d) present technical innovations to save water in irrigation. 
For further information on program, registration, submission of abstract etc., please visit conference website: https://watersaving.sciencesconf.org 

11th Agrovision (National Expo, Conferences & Workshops) 22-25 November, 2019 Reshimbhag Ground, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. Agrovision is a combination of Free Workshops, Exhibition and Conference which provides an excellent platform for the farmers and the agriculture industry to explore various opportunities. This is a B2B and B2C platform where organizations display latest technologies, products, services to farmers and various channel partners. The 4-day knowledge imparting movement is well attended by farmers, agri entrepreneurs from all parts of India. All the efforts of these years have resulted in building Agrovision as the India’s Largest Agri Summit. For exhibition or any other related queries please contact: anil.sharma@mmactiv.com, agrovisionnagpur@gmail.com, Website: http://www.agrovisionindia.in/ 
 

The International Conference on: Food, Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA), 1-3 December 2019, Cairo, Egypt. Contact: Ms. Sara Youssef 
Conference Coordinator fnssa@food-conference.org, Website: https://www.food-conference.org/events/food-nutrition-security-and-sustainable-agriculture-1st#objectiveoftheconference 
 

5th African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage (ARCID), 16-19 March 2020, Water Museum, Marrakech, Morocco 
Theme: Sustainable Management of irrigation for improved resilience of agriculture in Africa 
Website: http://5arcid.ma/ 

Water Pollution 2020: 15th International Conference on Monitoring, Modelling and Management of Water Pollution, 13-15 May 2020, Valencia, Spain. For more details, please visit: https://www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2020-conferences/water-pollution-2020; Email: wit@wessex.ac.uk

24th ICID International Congress & 71st IEC Meeting, 22-28 September 2020, Sydney, Australia 
Website: http://www.icid2020.com.au 

MinWat 2020: 3rd International Multidisciplinary Conference on Mineral Waters: Genesis, Exploitation, Protection and Valorisation, 31 March-3 April 2020, Caserta, Italy. For more details, please visit: https://iah.org/events/minwat-2020; Email: segratario@iahitaly.it 
 

24th ICID International Congress & 71st IEC Meeting, 22-28 September 2020, Sydney, Australia. For more info contact: Mr. Bryan Ward, Chief Executive Officer, Irrigation’s Australia Limited (IAL) (Incorporating IACID); Email: bryan.ward@irrigation.org.au, info@irrigation.org.au; Website: http://www.icid2020.com.au 
 

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IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land 
08 August 2019 
Land is already under growing human pressure and climate change is adding to these pressures. At the same time, keeping global warming to well below 2ºC can be achieved only by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors including land and food, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said in its latest report on Thursday. 
Link: https://www.ipcc.ch/2019/08/08/land-is-a-critical-resource_srccl/