Dutch engineers build world's biggest sun-seeking solar farm 
21 April, 2019 
Dutch engineers are building what will be the world’s largest archipelago of islands made up of sun-tracking solar panels. In a development that is to become the largest of its type in the world, construction will begin this year on 15 solar islands on the Andijk reservoir in north Holland. The islands, containing 73,500 panels, will have the sunflower-like ability to move to face the light. 
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/21/dutch-engineers-build-worlds-biggest-sun-seeking-solar-farm 

Spain’s organic farmers and growers increase 5.3 percent 
21 April, 2019 
Spain had 43,984 registered organic farmers and growers in 2018, a 5.3 percent increase on the previous year. Worldwide, organic farming has increased by 20.7 percent with a turnover of €92 billion, of which €37.3 billion corresponds to Spain in seventh place. 
https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2019/04/21/production-leader-spains-organic-farmers-and-growers-increase-5-3-per-cent/#.XL7ZgzAzbcc 

Morocco’s OCP invests in digital to take lead in African agriculture 
18 April, 2019 
Morocco’s Office Cherifien de Phosphates (OCP), a global leader in the production of fertilizers, is gradually positioning itself to take center stage in what the company sees as the coming African agricultural revolution. The new project entails investing in artificial intelligence (AI) and “Big Data” to upgrade efficiency in production and prepare for the challenges likely to face African agriculture in a decade. 
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2019/04/270958/morocco-ocp-digital-lead-african-agriculture/ 

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[[ CLIMATE CHANGE ]] 






Climate change has worsened global economic inequality 
22 April, 2019 
A new Stanford University study shows global warming has increased economic inequality since the 1960s. Temperature changes caused by growing concentrations of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere have enriched cool countries like Norway and Sweden, while dragging down economic growth in warm countries such as India and Nigeria. 
https://earth.stanford.edu/news/climate-change-has-worsened-global-economic-inequality 

Climate change has claimed its 1st mammal and more species are expected to follow 
22 April, 2019 
In late February, the Australian government recognized the extinction of the Bramble Cay melomys, and it is probably the first mammal to go extinct due to "human-induced climate change," or anthropogenic climate change, according to a report by Queensland scientists. 
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/climate-change-has-claimed-its-first-mammal-and-more-species-may-follow/70007829 

Climate change tests on Orkney's Neolithic sites 
24 April, 2019 
International scientists are meeting in Orkney to develop a system for assessing the risks to world heritage sites posed by climate change. The Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CVI) would allow sites to be assessed over a few days for issues like rising sea levels and warmer temperatures. It is being tested at the "Heart of Neolithic Orkney" which includes the Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae. The findings will be presented to the Unesco world heritage committee. 
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-48028191 

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[[ DROUGHTS ]] 

Drought in the Southwest forces food education to adapt 
23 April, 2019 
Southwest Colorado faced exceptional drought this past growing season, meaning the area saw widespread crop and pasture losses and shortages of water in reservoirs, streams, and wells, creating water emergencies. Aware of the changing landscape of food production in response to drought, the local nonprofit Montezuma School to Farm Project (MSTFP) is educating students in preschool through eighth grade on how to prepare for a changing food system as a result of climate change. 
https://foodtank.com/news/2019/04/drought-in-the-southwest-forces-food-education-to-adapt/ 

Severe drought influences ozone pollution 
22 April, 2019 
From 2011 to 2015, California experienced its worst drought on record, with a parching combination of high temperatures and low precipitation. Drought conditions can have complicated effects on ozone air quality, so to better understand the process, researchers have analyzed data from two ozone-polluted cities before, during and after the California drought. They report their results in ACS’ journal Environmental Science & Technology. 
https://phys.org/news/2019-04-severe-drought-ozone-pollution.html

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[[ FLOODS ]] 








Durban floods: Search for bodies goes on, death toll to rise 
25 April, 2019 
The death toll in the flash floods that struck KwaZulu-Natal over the Easter weekend is expected to rise. Emergency services continue the search for the bodies of people swept up in flood waters or caught up in the mudslides that followed the heavy rains experienced over the weekend. 
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/durban-floods-latest-search-for-bodies-goes-on-death-toll-to-rise/ 

Cyclone Kenneth: Mozambique facing ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ with new tropical storm 
25 April, 2019 
Mozambique is facing a second powerful cyclone just six weeks after the centre of the country was devastated by a tropical storm that left hundreds dead. Cyclone Kenneth started to make landfall in the north of the country on Thursday, and communities in both Tanzania and the East African nation are on high alert after meteorologists plotted the path of where the storm is set to strike. Authorities have carried out compulsory evacuations in cases where residents resisted warnings to flee. 
https://inews.co.uk/news/world/cyclone-kenneth-mozambique-facing-humanitarian-catastrophe-with-new-tropical-storm-heres-the-latest-weather-forecast/ 

[Top]

[[ FOOD SECURITY ]] 








Number of people affected by food insecurity in Kwale to rise 
23 April, 2019 
The number of people that will be affected by food insecurity in Kwale County is expected to rise to 100,000 over the next four months if the current drought persists. At the moment, about 70,000 people have been severely affected by drought and are benefitting from government relief food programmes.  
https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001322272/number-of-people-affected-by-food-insecurity-in-kwale-to-rise 

WHO says climate change could have ‘considerable’ food safety impact 
18 April, 2019 
Climate change is likely to have considerable impact on food safety, placing public health at risk, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In its first publication on the topic, WHO officials said changing rainfall patterns and increases in extreme weather events and the annual average temperature are impacts of climate change. 
https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2019/04/who-says-climate-change-could-have-considerable-food-safety-impact/ 

[Top]

[[ IRRIGATION ]] 





Pastoralists in Northern Kenya embrace irrigation 
23 April, 2019 
Pastoralist communities in Northern Kenya are embracing irrigation to farm crops as an alternative source of livelihood, something that was unheard of some years back. With the assistance from the Kenya Red Cross, some 200 farmers in Kulan, Garissa County are reaping the benefit of cultivating watermelons, onions, cowpeas and other horticultural crops under drip irrigation. 
https://www.kbc.co.ke/pastoralists-in-northern-kenya-embrace-irrigation/ 

[Top]

[[ WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ]] 










Designing water infrastructure for climate uncertainty 
22 April, 2019 
In Kenya’s second largest city, Mombasa, the demand for water is expected to double by 2035 to an estimated 300,000 cubic meters per day. To help cities like Mombasa sort through such consequential decisions, a team of researchers at the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change has developed a new, systematic approach to designing long-term water infrastructure amid climate change uncertainty. 
http://news.mit.edu/2019/mit-research-designing-water-infrastructure-amid-climate-uncertainty-0422 

Hamilton uses the sun to treat wastewater 
23 April, 2019 
The City of Hamilton is looking skyward for some help to treat its wastewater, firing up a new solar power array to help defray its electricity costs. The city has just completed the installation of a new solar power installation at the wastewater treatment plant on the west side of town.  
https://kpax.com/news/ravalli-county/2019/04/23/hamilton-uses-the-sun-to-treat-wastewater/ 

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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/explore-our-conferences 

2019 Floodplain Management Australia National Conference, 14-17 May 2019, Canberra, Australia 
Website:  https://floodplainconference.com/ 

ISMAR 10: International Symposium on Managed Aquifer Recharge, 20-24 May 2019, Madrid, Spain 
Website:  http://ismar10.net 

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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An engaging introduction to organic agriculture, “Organic Food, Farming and Culture” is essential reading for those interested in food studies, sustainable agriculture, food security, environmental studies, nutrition, and health. The textbook is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to organic food and farming and cover topics including organic food and organic farming principles; the history of organics; how organic food is grown, distributed, and consumed; the nutritional benefits; and the social and cultural meanings attached to the concept “organic.” The book also includes practical, real-world examples and case studies from organic farmers, chefs, restaurateurs, students and concerned consumers. It includes exercises, discussion questions, and further reading suggestions to help educators and students engage with the content. There are also illustrations of farms, food, and organic processes included in the text.  

Read More>>  https://www.delval.edu/news/dr.-jackie-ricotta-co-edits-a-new-book-on-organic-food