FAO urges nations across world to support agroforestry 
20 May, 2019 
More robust policy support is needed to reap the benefits of growing trees near crops and livestock, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said at a recent agro-forestry summit in France. The approach is gaining interest due to its ability to sequester carbon and mitigate climate change and to broaden the social, economic and environmental sustainability of rural development, according to FAO 
https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/fao-urges-nations-across-world-to-support-agroforestry-119052001509_1.html 

Organic farmers association in Kerala wins international award for innovative farming 
18 May, 2019 
The Kerala Jaiva Karshaka Samithi, a 25-year-old organic farmers group in Kerala, has won global recognition for their efforts in innovating organic farming. The quarter-century-old organic farming association has around 15,000 members who are active farmers.  
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/organic-farmers-association-kerala-wins-international-award-innovative-farming-101996 

OECD report recommends Japan embrace technological innovation, entrepreneurship to expand agricultural productivity 
12 May, 2019 
With Japanese food products becoming increasingly popular with foreign tourists, especially those from Asia, the country’s agricultural sector has a bright future if it can change its policies to embrace technological innovation and entrepreneurship, an OECD report on the country’s agricultural productivity and sustainability has concluded. 
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/05/12/business/oecd-report-recommends-japan-embrace-technological-innovation-entrepreneurship-expand-agricultural-productivity/#.XOO_-lIzbcc 

Study maps rise in non-CO2 emission from cropland based agriculture over 30 years 
20 May, 2019 
Fertiliser pricing policies– influencing farmers’ preference towards specific chemical combinations–need to be mapped to the officially prescribed nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and potassium (K) ratio to curb excess non-carbon dioxide (non-CO2) emission from India’s cropland based agriculture, research has suggested. 
https://india.mongabay.com/2019/05/study-maps-rise-in-non-co2-emission-from-cropland-based-agriculture-over-30-years/ 

New spectral analysis tech can help boost plant production 
20 May, 2019 
A new technology called spectral analysis can quickly scan an entire field of plants to capture improvements in their natural capacity to harvest the sun's energy, a game-changing development that could greatly improve crop performance.  
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/technology/in-other-news/200519/new-spectral-analysis-tech-can-help-boost-plant-production.html 

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[[ CLIMATE CHANGE ]] 







Global sea level rise could be bigger than expected 
20 May, 2019 
Scientists believe that global sea levels could rise far more than predicted, due to accelerating melting in Greenland and Antarctica. The long-held view has been that the world's seas would rise by a maximum of just under a metre by 2100. This new study, based on expert opinions, projects that the real level may be around double that figure. 
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48337629 

Plants have increased the process of photosynthesis to slow down climate change 
19 May, 2019 
As the planet gets warmer, plants are working to slow the effect of human-caused climate change, observed researchers. According to the study published in the Journal of Trends in Plant Science, terrestrial plants are currently absorbing more CO2 than it released into the atmosphere through the combination of fire, decomposition, plant respiration and human-related emissions. 
https://www.thehansindia.com/life-style/environment/plants-have-increased-the-process-of-photo-synthesis-to-slow-down-climate-change-530564 

Extreme climate can halve crop yields: Study 
7 May, 2019 
The frequency and severity of climate extremes is projected to further increase in most regions worldwide, which is likely to affect agricultural productivity. Global research quantifies the impact of climate extremes on staple crops maize, spring wheat, rice and soybeans 
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/agriculture/extreme-climate-can-halve-crop-yields-study-64373 

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[[ DROUGHTS ]] 

Botswana declares drought year as it suffers its first major climate change crisis 
20 May, 2019 
Botswana has declared 2018/2019 a drought year as "unevenly distributed rains, dry spells, and heat waves resulted in crop failure and livestock condition deteriorating." Last year, a global sustainability report warned that in 2019 Botswana would suffer its first major climate change crisis with an unprecedented drought and water shortage.  
https://www.africanexponent.com/post/10230-botswana-declares-drought 

Somalia: $710 million needed to scale up drought response 
21 May, 2019 
As Somalia faces another severe drought, aid agencies launched a Drought Response Plan and called for urgent and sustained resources to avert a major crisis. The plan seeks $710 million to provide critical, life-saving assistance to 4.5 million drought-affected Somalis in the most severely affected areas between now and the end of December. 
https://www.africanews.com/2019/05/20/somalia-710-million-needed-to-scale-up-drought-response-and-avert-a-major-crisis/ 

Hunger hits Zimbabwean cities as drought drives food shortages 
21 May, 2019 
At least 37% of the urban populace require food aid in Zimbabwe and, unlike in the past, aid will also be distributed in towns and cities. According to Famine Early Warning Systems Network in May, levels of acute food shortages are up because of poor rainfalls experienced last year in November, which meant a delay in planting and subsequently harvesting normally done in April. 
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/africa/2019-05-21-hunger-hits-zimbabwean-cities-as-drought-drives-food-shortages/ 

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[[ FLOODS ]] 






Arkansas river flooding reaches record-setting levels 
26 May, 2019 
The Arkansas River level at Van Buren has broken the all-time record set in 1945. The National Weather Service graph shows the current river level is at 38.14 feet. The previous historic crest of 38.1 feet was set during the 1945 floods. 
https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/arkansas-river-flooding-reaches-record-setting-levels/2028739716 

Flash floods kill 24 nationwide: Afghanistan 
27 May, 2019 
At least 24 people were killed in recent floods due to torrential rainfalls hit some provinces that destroyed roads, houses and public buildings. Uncounted farmlands have been destroyed and people suffered agricultural losses. Streams, springs and canals have been damaged. 
https://menafn.com/1098570800/Afghanistan-Flash-floods-kill-24-nationwide 

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[[ FOOD SECURITY ]] 







Replace soil with foam to solve global food security crisis, say scientists 
20 May, 2019 
Experts from the new Institute for Sustainable Food at the University of Sheffield have found that crops planted in polyurethane foams at an urban farm grow two to 10 times faster than plants grown in soil.  
https://phys.org/news/2019-05-soil-foam-global-food-crisis.html 

Declining bee populations pose threat to global food security and nutrition 
20 May, 2019 
The global decline in bee populations poses a serious threat to a wide variety of plants critical to human well-being and livelihoods, and countries should do more to safeguard our key allies in the fight against hunger and malnutrition, FAO stressed as it marked UN World Bee Day (20 May). 
https://yubanet.com/world/world-bee-day-declining-bee-populations-pose-threat-to-global-food-security-and-nutrition/ 

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[[ IRRIGATION ]] 





More farmers moving over to micro irrigation in Tamil Nadu: India 
13 May, 2019 
Tamil Nadu, which faced criticism of wasting water resources, is showing signs of catching up with other southern States such as Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in taking to micro irrigation. Tamil Nadu no longer lags behind others in micro irrigation, which includes drip and sprinkler system. 
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/more-farmers-moving-over-to-micro-irrigation-in-state/article27111064.ece 

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[[ WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ]] 






New IoT partnership to monitor world’s water resources 
15 May, 2019 
Myriota, a nanosatellite Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity leader based in South Australia, has teamed up with cloud-based environmental platform Eagle.io with the aim of preserving global water supplies. The partnership, which was announced at 2019 IoT World Conference in California, will provide global software and telemetry solutions for water management issues faced by agricultural players and governments worldwide. 
http://theleadsouthaustralia.com.au/industries/space-industry/iot-partnership-to-monitor-water-resources/ 

NASA researchers find evidence of water, organics on Kuiper Belt Object Ultima Thule 
20 May, 2019 
NASA has found evidence for a unique mixture of methanol, water ice and organic molecules on Ultima Thule's surface -– the farthest world ever explored by mankind. The US space agency has published the first profile of Ultima Thule–an ancient relic from the era of planet formation –- revealing details about the complex space object. 
https://www.firstpost.com/tech/science/nasa-researchers-find-evidence-of-water-organics-on-kuiper-belt-object-ultima-thule-6665331.html 

26 dams hit zero water storage level in Maharashtra: India 
Twenty-six dams in Maharashtra state have reached 'zero storage' level as on May 18, figures provided by state water conservation department revealed. The affected areas include the Aurangabad Division, as well as some dams in the Nagpur Division, Jalgaon and Pune.  
https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2019/Q2/new-nitrogen-fertilizer-texture-may-reduce-nitrate-levels,-make-water-safer.html 

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Workshop on Latest Trends in Inspection & Investigations of Dams, 30-31 May 2019, New Delhi, India 
Website: https://damsafety.co/ 

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/ 

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

MinWat 2020: 3rd International Multidisciplinary Conference on Mineral Waters: Genesis, Exploitation, Protection, and Valorisation, 31 March-3
April 2020, Caserta, Italy 
Website: https://iah.org/events/minwat-2020 

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

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This report assesses the suitability of the water and climate-related policy environment (existing policy, legislation, strategy and planning instruments) for adapting to the impacts of climate change in the water sector in South Asia. South Asia will be exposed to a variety of impacts as a result of climate change, ranging from increased frequency and intensity of extreme events—floods, droughts and storms—to longer-term changes in climate and hydrological parameters, such as earlier onset of monsoons, reductions in mean annual river flows, and rising sea levels affecting coastal aquifers and surface waters. Each country of South Asia is exposed to a different suite of climate change impacts: for example, Bangladesh is particularly vulnerable to flooding and sea-level rise, while Nepal and Bhutan face the issue of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). These impacts will have a major effect on the economies and social welfare of the countries in the region. The poor and disadvantaged are particularly vulnerable to climate shocks and are likely to be severely impacted by climate change. 

 +Download the report>> https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/sawi-paper-2.pdf