Technology goes to the field 
May 24, 2019 
Agronomy students at NCTA now have “the latest and greatest” of modern field technology. With the delivery last month of a new no-till planter, applied learning at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis took a giant leap forward, says the NCTA alumnus who built the fully-equipped 6-row planter. 
https://ncta.unl.edu/news-releases/technology-goes-field

New research on sustainable agriculture shows why farmers adopt or dismiss nontoxic farming methods 
May 26, 2019 
If researchers knew what kept farmers from adopting natural methods to grow healthier plants and vanquish pests, curbing hunger worldwide might be more feasible. That assumption underpins a new joint research project at Virginia Tech. 
https://augustafreepress.com/new-research-on-sustainable-agriculture-shows-why-farmers-adopt-or-dismiss-nontoxic-farming-methods/ 
 

Time to make smart shift with startups to find new solutions for agriculture 
May 27, 2019 
India’s stark reality is that 63.5% of agricultural households in rural areas of the country rely on cultivation as their principal source of income as per NSSO data. Yet the contribution of this sector is just 17% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/sanjeev-singh-blog/time-to-make-smart-shift-with-startups-to-find-new-solutions-for-agriculture/ 
 

State agriculture dept advises farmers to prepare for delayed monsoon 
May 27, 2019 
Weather experts have indicated that this year monsoon will be arriving late in Maharashtra. It is unlikely that there will be pre-monsoon showers before June 8 
https://www.hindustantimes.com/pune-news/state-agriculture-dept-advises-farmers-to-prepare-for-delayed-monsoon/story-NNDib9IXwJYbzd1snqXmGM.html 
 

[Top] 

[[ CLIMATE CHANGE ]] 








How Climate Change May Affect the Plants in Your Yard 
May 23, 2019 
As temperatures warm across America, growing zones for flowers, shrubs, and trees are shifting northward. 
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/05/23/climate/plant-hardiness-zones-shifting.html

No more climate change: it's now a crisis 
24 May, 2019 
What's in a name? A lot, The Guardian says: it's ditching mentions of climate change and switching to sterner language. 
https://climatenewsnetwork.net/no-more-climate-change-its-now-a-crisis/

What’s Wrong with the Way We Communicate Climate Change? 
May 24, 2019 
Climate Change is one of the defining issues of our time. Multiple studies have shown that 97 percent or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree that climate change is taking place, and that it is manmade. 
https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/whats-wrong-with-the-way-we-communicate-climate-change

To stay ahead of climate change, cities need to act now 
May 27, 2019 
How the world's cities are preparing for climate change. New agendas are being added to city governments’ roles and responsibilities that have high importance and urgently need action — for instance climate change adaptation, low carbon cities and disaster risk reduction. 
https://apolitical.co/solution_article/to-stay-ahead-of-climate-change-cities-need-to-act-now/ 

[Top]  


 

[[ DROUGHTS ]] 

 
Staring at drought, Maharashtra weighs artificial rain option 
May 26, 2019 
With Maharashtra reeling under the worst ever drought since 1972, the state government has decided to take up cloud seeding ahead of the monsoon. 
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/staring-at-drought-maharashtra-weighs-artificial-rain-option/778296.html

5 droughts that changed human history 
27 May 2019 
Reports of severe droughts are rarely out of the headlines as our world warms up. North Korea has said it's suffering the worst drought in 37 years, while the last five months have been the driest in the history of the Panama Canal, according to authorities. A recent study says human activity could have exacerbated a century of such droughts. 
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/05/5-droughts-that-changed-human-history/

Southeast Alaska experiencing first recorded extreme drought 
May 27, 2019 
Alaska (AP) - The wettest region in Alaska is experiencing the first extreme drought recorded by the U.S. Drought Monitor. 

https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Southeast-Alaska-experiencing-first-recorded-extreme-drought-510474131.html

As drought persists, Australia restricts water use in populous state

May 28, 2019 
Sydney (Reuters) - Australia’s most populous state of New South Wales on Tuesday imposed water restrictions for the first time in a decade with dam levels at just over 50% due to a prolonged drought. 
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-weather-water/as-drought-persists-australia-restricts-water-use-in-populous-state-idUSKCN1SY0ND

Operationalizing an Agricultural Drought Monitoring and Early Warning System in the Hindu Kush Himalaya Region 
29 May 2019 
The countries that share the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan – frequently experience agricultural, hydrological, meteorological, and socioeconomic droughts. 
https://reliefweb.int/report/nepal/operationalizing-agricultural-drought-monitoring-and-early-warning-system-hindu-kush 

[Top] 

[[ FLOODS ]] 
 




Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nebraska, Flooding Maps and Update After Deadly Storms Pummel Central States 
May 27, 2019 
Major storms, tornado watches and flood warnings are sweeping across the central United States as Americans commemorate Memorial Day. Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nebraska and other central states all faced severe weather conditions such as heavy rains, wind, hail and possible twisters on Monday, with millions of Americans impacted by or under the threat of storms. 
https://www.newsweek.com/oklahoma-arkansas-nebraska-flooding-update-map-1436835

Three days of bad weather and thunderstorms expected in Hong Kong as floods hit New Territories 
May 27, 2019 
South China Morning Post/ Hong Kong - Four of the flood reports were in Tin Shui Wai, where 13 people were reported trapped in their homes by floods, with some claiming the water had got into their properties. The other was in Tuen Mun. The Drainage Services Department urged Hongkongers to report floods to its 24-hour hotline. 
https://yp.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/113131/three-days-bad-weather-and-thunderstorms-expected-hong-kong-floods-hit

Administration Gears up as 30,000 People Remain Affected in Flood-hit Assam 
May 29, 2019 
Hundreds of families have been rendered homeless as waters of several rivers across the state broke through embankments, inundating the nearby villages. 
https://www.news18.com/news/india/administration-gears-up-as-30000-people-affected-in-flood-hit-assam-many-take-refuge-in-relief-camps-2163263.html 

[Top]

[[ FOOD SECURITY ]] 
 




 

Drought Leaves 2 Million Food Insecure in Angola 
24 May 2019 
Southern Angola is facing the worst drought in decades, with at least 2.3 million people at high risk of suffering malnutrition because they couldn't get enough food, the United Nations Children's Fund says. 
https://www.sierraleonetimes.com/news/261187368/drought-leaves-2-million-food-insecure-in-angola

Food Security: NSDC Boss Calls for Adoption of Bio-Technology 
May 27, 2019 
Nigeria - The federal government has urged both local and foreign investors in bio-factory sugar manufacturing in the country to avail themselves of the opportunity in bio-technology for agricultural development in the country. This, the government said would go a long way to support food security and provide raw materials for the nation’s agro based industries. 
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/05/27/food-security-nsdc-boss-calls-for-adoption-of-bio-technology/

UN habitat assembly must address food security concerns 
26 May 2019 
The first session of the United Nations Habitat Assembly starts in Nairobi on Monday. Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, accompanied by heads of the two local authorities, the executive councillor for local government and a few other officials will be attending. 
https://www.thesundaily.my/opinion/un-habitat-assembly-must-address-food-security-FM907722 

It’s World Hunger Day. Here’s why so many people still suffer from malnutrition 
May 28, 2019 
Since 2011, World Hunger Day has celebrated solutions for hunger and poverty. Yet hunger is on the rise, and 821 million people are undernourished, facing chronic food deprivation. This contributes to malnutrition — and poor mothers and children in low- and middle-income countries are hardest hit. Malnutrition undercuts healthy development, often irreversibly in children, leaving an estimated 149 million children worldwide affected by stunted growth. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/05/28/its-world-hunger-day-its-day-ask-why-malnutrition-still-affects-so-many/?utm_term=.2b9e9bf639dc

[Top]

[[ IRRIGATION ]] 






Global Automatic Irrigation Equipment Market Analysis, Size, Regional Outlook, Share, Trend, Growth, Analysis and Forecast Report 2025 
May 25, 2019 
Global Automatic Irrigation Equipment Market Report offers a competitive and comparative assessment of top Automatic Irrigation Equipment Market players. 
https://majoreports.com/global-automatic-irrigation-equipment-market-analysis-size-regional-outlook-share-trend-growth-analysis-and-forecast-report-2025/121821/

Domoguen: Solar-powered irrigation, a game changer for poor upland communities in Abra 
May 27, 2019 
Can you imagine farming and planting rice on a rain-fed land for more than four decades, and then you wake up one day to be told your land will be fully irrigated? You may not believe it at first, but then you have no other choice but to thank the gods for your great fortune. Abundant irrigation is about to flow into your rice field all year. To Filipino farmers living in the uplands, irrigation, in this case, made possible through solar power, is a game changer for the better, for their families and communities. 
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1807347 

Call for ideas to tackle irrigation water loss 
29 May 2019 
AB Sugar, in partnership with WaterAid and the Centre for Industrial Sustainability at the University of Cambridge, has launched a first-of-its-kind Innovate Irrigation Challenge, seeking to generate new ideas to reduce water losses from irrigation in sugar 
http://fareasternagriculture.com/technology/water-a-irrigation/call-for-ideas-to-tackle-irrigation-water-loss

[Top]

[[ WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ]] 
 





Government must prioritise on conserving water 
24 May 2019 
Our river systems are suffering badly from water scarcity and non-point source pollution. 
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/water/government-must-prioritise-on-conserving-water-64737

Freshwater ecosystems 
May 27, 2019 
Freshwater ecosystems are a biodiversity hotspot that encompass 2.4 percent of all the known species despite the total coverage of only 0.8 percent of the terrestrial surface. Among them, freshwater rivers contain only 0.3 percent of the overall world’s water supply, but they play a significant role in contributing to both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. 
https://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2019-05-27/freshwater-ecosystems.html

Water management in Bangladesh 
28 May, 2019 
Management of water resources has become a crucial necessity in Bangladesh with the ever-growing demand for water and the escalating conflict over various uses of water over the decades. 
http://www.theindependentbd.com/post/201385

UN World Water Development Report 2019: global water demand to continue increasing about 1 percent per year until 2050 
May 29, 2019 
Global water demand is expected to continue increasing at about one percent per year until 2050, accounting for an increase of 20 to 30 percent above the current level of water use and much of it due to increase in demand by the industrial and domestic sectors. 
https://fp.brecorder.com/2019/05/20190529482027/ 

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LuWQ2019 – International Conference on Land Use and Water Quality: Agriculture and the Environment, 3-6 June Aarhus, Denmark 
Website: http://www.luwq2019.dk/ 
 

12th World Congress on Plant Biotechnology & Agriculture, June 12-13, 2019 Panorama Hotel Prague, Milevská 7, 140 63 Praha 4, Czechia. Theme: Exceeding The Vision Towards a Sustainable Agriculture 
Website: https://agriculture-horticulture.conferenceseries.com/europe/events-list/irrigation 
 

FLOWPATH 2019 - Groundwater flow and resource management. 12-14 June 2019 Milano, Italy 
Website: http://www.flowpath2019.polimi.it/ 
 

“Rethinking Water” Water Leaders Summit 2019, June 26 - 27 |Milwaukee, WI USA 
Website: https://thewatercouncil.com/events/water-summit/ 
 

International Conference on Conservation Agriculture & Soil Tillage, June 28-29, 2019 Stockholm | Sweden - Theme: Exploring new methods towards sustainable agriculture. Website: https://agricultureconservation.conferenceseries.com/registration.php 
 

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/ 

11th Agrovision (National Expo, Conferences & Workshops) 22-25 November, 2019, Reshimbhag Ground, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. Website: http://www.agrovisionindia.in/ 
 

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/ 
 

Roorkee Water Conclave, 26-28 February 2020. Contact: Organising Committee, Roorkee Water Conclave, Department of Water Resources Development & Management, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee-247 667, Uttarakhand, India. Website: www.iitr.ac.in/rwc2020/ 

24th ICID International Congress & 71st IEC Meeting, 22-28 September 2020, Sydney, Australia. Theme: Innovation and Research in Agriculture Water Management to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals. Website: http://www.icid2020.com.au 
 

[Top]

Water Governance and Management in India: Issues and Perspectives 
Volume 1 | Published: 2019 
Authors: Girish Chadha, Ashwin B. Pandya

India has been facing severe water stress in recent years. The water management in the country needs a serious scientific understanding coupled with the cooperative approach rather than a competitive one. This book provides an insight into the current water regulations and highlights the need for effective water management and governance in India. It looks at current water regulations and underlines the need for an overhaul of some laws to ensure that high water usage efficiency is attained, groundwater depletion is arrested and management of available resources is carried out in a disciplined manner. The publication also discusses the role of stakeholder engagement and water pricing as means to manage increasing water demand across all sectors owing to rapid population growth and industrialization. An effective guide for researchers, policymakers and stakeholders for the knowledge and ideas contained, it provides well-researched insights into the underlying scientific principles and considerations towards attaining an equitable water resources regime. 
+Preview the book>> https://www.springer.com/us/book/9789811363993