World first IoT farming tech trial in NZ 
29 Jan, 2019 
A pioneering arable farming tech trial is expected to make a quantum leap to help boost New Zealand’s primary export revenue. The IoT tech trial at Kowhai Farm is a New Zealand IoT Alliance pilot in collaboration with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). The pilot aims to demonstrate that with the better use of digital technologies New Zealand primary sector businesses will be more productive and more competitive irrespective of their size or the sector they are operating in. 
https://newsie.co.nz/news/138725-world-first-iot-farming-tech-trial-nz.html 

Nebraska ag event to discuss trends in farming, agribusiness 
28 Jan, 2019 
Farming, ranching and business leaders throughout Nebraska are set to discuss new trends in agriculture at an annual conference hosted by Gov. Pete Ricketts. The 2019 Governor's Ag Conference is scheduled for March 4-5 in Kearney. The event was created as a networking and educational opportunity for farmers, ranchers, entrepreneurs and government officials. Producers also get the chance to learn about the latest U.S. Farm Bill and trade policies. 
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article225191565.html 

Tamil Nadu organic farmer uses aquatic fern to increase paddy cultivation by 35%: India 
24 Jan, 2019 
While it may seem like the Indian farmer’s dependence on chemicals helps increase productivity in the short term, consequences, in the long run, are irreparable. Besides, the cost of these chemical fertilisers continues to burn holes in their pockets. But one organic farmer from Tamil Nadu has proven how Azolla (considered a weed in most parts of the world) can effectively be used as a bio-fertiliser to increase the production of paddy by 30 to 40 percent. 
https://www.thebetterindia.com/170583/tamil-nadu-farmer-earning-paddy-organic-pesticide-details/ 

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CLIMATE CHANGE 

In a pioneering effort to curb climate change, Germany sets goal to end coal use by 2038 
27 Jan , 2019 
In a pioneering move, a German government-appointed panel has recommended that Germany stop burning coal to generate electricity by 2038 at the latest, as part of efforts to curb climate change. The 28-member panel, representing mining regions, utility companies, scientists and environmentalists, suggests a review in 2032 could bring forward the coal deadline to 2035. 
http://time.com/5514141/germany-coal-use-2038-climate-change/ 

World’s lake ice rapidly shrinking as global temperatures climb due to climate change 
29 Jan, 2019 
The world’s lake ice is rapidly shrinking as global temperatures climb, with potential to upend everything from seasonal transportation links and recreation to the ecological health of tens of thousands of inland waters, scientists said. Climate change could see tens of thousands of lakes across scores of countries in the Northern Hemisphere lose annual winter ice cover under current warming trends, a study has found. 
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-worlds-lake-ice-rapidly-shrinking-as-global-temperatures-climb-due-to/ 

Climate change will alter gender ratio of newborns, scientists say 
29 Jan, 2019 
Researchers have warned climate change will lead to extreme weather events, increase human mental health problems and internally displace more than 143 million people. A recent study from Japan, where temperatures have increased an average of 34.07 Fahrenheit per 100 years, suggests changing temperatures due to global warming could alter the world’s proportion of male and female newborns. 
https://www.ajc.com/news/climate-change-will-alter-gender-ratio-newborns-scientists-say/yCndBJPpT3dOzrzEL1xHpK/ 

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DROUGHTS

Space technology predicts droughts five months in advance 
28 Jan, 2019 
With the technological advancement catching unbelievable pace, recent research suggests that space technology can now predict droughts several months in advance. Scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) have used new space technology to predict droughts and increased bushfire risk up to five months in advance. 
https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/space-technology-predicts-droughts-five-months-in-advance-119012801520_1.html 

Turkana, Marsabit get Sh2.3bn in fight against effects of drought 
28 Jan, 2018 
Turkana and Marsabit will get Sh2.3 billion from the Germany government to mitigate the effects of drought in the northern Kenya counties. The counties would be in charge of executing these projects while the national government would play an oversight role. The amount will be used in water harvesting, livestock management and fodder production to avert animal and human deaths. 
https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/news/counties/fight-against-effects-of-drought/4003142-4955494-qyyfcdz/index.html 

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FLOODS 

Dozens rescued from flooding as heavy rain shuts schools, roads in Saudi Arabia 
28 Jan, 2019 
Heavy rainfall and sandstorms in the Kingdom have led to flooding, school closures and poor visibility, authorities said as they urged people to take precautions during the bout of bad weather. Rain hit northern and western parts of Saudi Arabia, while sand swept through major population areas to bog down the skyline. 
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1443351/saudi-arabia 

Queensland floods leave hundreds stranded 
28 Jan, 2019 
Hundreds of people remain cut off after a deluge pushed far north Queensland's Daintree River to a record level. The river peaked at close to 12.6 metres on Saturday night, breaking a record that stood for 118 years. Ferry infrastructure was severely damaged and authorities say the crossing could be out for two days. 
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/queensland-floods-leave-hundreds-stranded 

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FOOD SECURITY 

FAO receives $8 mln from Japan to boost food security and nutrition in conflict-ridden Yemen 
31 Jan, 2019 
Japan has contributed over $8 million (JPY 891,000,000) to back FAO's work on enhancing food and nutrition security for the most vulnerable households in conflict-ridden Yemen, which is facing the world's largest humanitarian crisis. These interventions will help food insecure households produce life-saving food and generate income as well as stimulate local economies through rural job creation. 
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/fao-receives-8-million-japan-boost-food-security-and-nutrition-conflict-ridden-yemen 

Experts call for health warnings on breakfast cereals to tackle world’s obesity pandemic 
28 Jan, 2019 
‘We’re running out of time’: Big Food is compared to Big Tobacco in a polemic report that links it to the global obesity epidemic, along with malnutrition and climate change.  
https://www.bakeryandsnacks.com/Article/2019/01/28/Experts-call-for-health-warnings-on-breakfast-cereals-to-tackle-world-s-obesity-pandemic 

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IRRIGATION 

New web-based platform to help micro-irrigation 
22 Jan, 2019 
A team of interdisciplinary scientists have come out with an online system that promises to substantially ease the process of planning and implementing micro-irrigation systems for agricultural fields. Called DOMIS (short form for Design of Micro-irrigation System), it is a web-based application and helps design customized micro-irrigation systems for individual agricultural fields under different agro-climatic conditions and circumstances for any crop. A paper on this new platform has been published in journal Current Science. 
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/new-web-based-platform-to-help-micro-irrigation/article26060001.ece 

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WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 

Ghana: World Bank commits U.S.$46 mln to safe drinking water, sanitation facilities 
28 Jan, 2019 
The World Bank has committed US$46 million to support the provision of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities to about 600,000 people across six regions of the country. The "Sustainable Rural Water and Sanitation project" is being implemented across the Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Central, Western and Brong Ahafo regions. 
https://allafrica.com/stories/201901280784.html 

Lebanon needs a proper water management plan 
21 Jan, 2019 
According to a report released by the World Bank, more than 20 percent of the Lebanese people are not connected to the public water network and only a quarter of those who are connected receive water daily. Based on overall year-round shortages, households still rely on water brought by tankers for domestic use and commonly purchase plastic water bottles. Moreover, tap water is often not safe to drink and needs to be re-filtered. 
https://en.annahar.com/article/927290-water-management-in-lebanon 

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS   

International Dam Safety Conference 2019, 13-14 February 2019, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India  
Website:  www.damsafety.in/idsc2019 

Water for Food Global Conference 2019,  29-30 April 2019, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA  
Theme: Water for a Hungry World: Innovation in Water and Food Security 
Website:  https://waterforfood.nebraska.edu/news-and-events 

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://www.anafide.net/ 

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

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       LATEST PUBLICATION(S) 
                               

Beyond Crop per Drop: Assessing Agricultural Water Productivity and Efficiency in a Maturing Water Economy 
Published: 2018-06-26; Author(s) Scheierling, Susanne M. and Tréguer, David O. 

With growing water scarcity in many parts of the world and projections that indicate the need to increase agricultural production and, concurrently, agricultural water use, it is increasingly advocated to focus efforts on improving agricultural water productivity and efficiency—and thus achieve more crop per drop. Many international organizations concerned with water management are also promoting these efforts, and significant public and private investments are being made in both developed and developing countries. Yet some serious problems are associated with this approach. The report aims to shed further light on these issues: first, by clarifying some of the underlying concepts in the discussion of agricultural water productivity and efficiency; second, by reviewing and analyzing the available methods for assessing water productivity and efficiency, including single-factor productivity measures, total factor productivity indices, frontier methods, and deductive methods; and, third, by discussing their application a relevance in different contexts. The book has been released as an Open Access and can be downloaded @  https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/29922