EU could overtake US as the world's second-largest wheat exporter in 2019-20: USDA 
13 May, 2019 
The European Union could overtake the US as the world's second-largest wheat exporter in 2019-20, though it is likely to remain far from the top exporter position which it lost three years ago after difficult weather conditions hammered wheat output in its agriculture powerhouse, France, according to the US Department of Agriculture's latest forecasts. 
https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/agriculture/051319-eu-to-overtake-us-as-the-worlds-second-largest-wheat-exporter-in-2019-20-usda 

Cultivating chia seeds boosting income of Mysuru farmers: India 
13 May, 2019 
Farmers of Mysuru, known for the pomp and gaiety of its traditional 10-day-long Dasara festival, are writing a new chapter, growing this popular crop, chia that retails for Rs. 100-odd for 100gm in metros. The seed has really transformed the lives of hundreds of farmer in the district without any government help as it has enhanced their agricultural income in a big way. Farmers growing traditional crops like tobacco, millets, etc., said that their life has been transformed after growing chia. 
https://krishijagran.com/agriculture-world/cultivating-chia-seeds-boosting-income-of-mysuru-farmers/ 

Field experiment finds a simple change that could boost agricultural productivity by 60 percent 
2 May, 2019 
Raising tenants' share in crop-sharing contracts between landlords and tenants in developing countries can boost agricultural output, by providing tenants with the right incentive to raise agriculture productivity. In a field experiment in Uganda, researchers found that introducing the new sharing rules, output is 60 percent higher and tenants' income increases by 140 percent. 
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190502104820.htm 

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[[ CLIMATE CHANGE ]] 







Climate change threatens 26 native species in Great Dividing Range, study finds 
16 May, 2019 
More than 20 native animals would disappear from the Great Dividing Range before the end of the century if global emissions continue at business as usual rates, according to new analysis by Australian researchers. 
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/16/climate-change-threatens-26-native-species-in-great-dividing-range-study-finds 

Climate change to make Earth spin faster and create powerful storms 
12 May, 2019 
As the planet warms, the mass of Earth will be redistributed and cause the planet to rotate faster, adding to the plethora of challenges global warming threatens. Increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere heats up the globe, and as a result, the polar ice caps melt. With less frozen bodies in the north and south, the mass of the planet will be slightly off-kilter as the remains travel into the ocean, causing sea levels to rise. 
https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1125470/what-is-climate-change-how-fast-does-the-earth-spin-global-warming-definition 

Weeds fight climate change by absorbing atmospheric carbon 
11 May, 2019 
Even if the majority of people see weeds as a persistent problem, a farmer has discovered that they can make the dry and tarnished soil fertile again, while they also eat up atmospheric carbon. Accordingly, weeds can help us curb climate change and its effects. 
http://www.iran-daily.com/News/252628.html?catid=3&title=Weeds-fight-climate-change-by-absorbing-atmospheric-carbon 

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[[ DROUGHTS ]] 

Ancient fish ponds built by humans in the Bolivian savanna helped settlements to survive dry periods  
15 May, 2019 
Tribes in the Amazon basin constructed fishing ponds to cope with months of continuous droughts 1,000 years, new research has found. A network of ponds connected by canals that captured rainfall and stored it was thought to feed local settlements all year round. By studying fish fossils, scientists also found fish species with adaptations that allowed it to live in these ponds all year round. 
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7032577/Ancient-fish-ponds-built-humans-Bolivian-savanna-helped-settlements-survive-dry-periods.html 

Australia's livestock feed supplies in precarious position due to drought 
8 May, 2019 
Australia's livestock feed supplies are under threat due to the drought, which is putting pressure on both domestic customers and the export market. Not only is less fodder being grown, but farmers are needing to buy more feed for their animals — meaning exporters and primary producers are either facing shortages or are paying much higher prices. 
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-05-09/livestock-feed-supplies-shortage-due-to-drought/11092472 

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[[ FLOODS ]] 






48 million under threat of severe weather as hail, rain and tornadoes move east 
19 May, 2019 
Nearly 50 million people are under threat of hail, heavy rain, strong winds and isolated tornadoes this week as several storms move east, according to the National Weather Center. Storms spread across the Great Lakes/Ohio Valley area and most of the Northeast on Sunday. While the risk for severe storms appears to be low, it extends over a large population. 
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/19/us/midwest-weather-sunday-wxc/index.html 

ICRC earmarks 400,000 euros to help flood-hit Iranians 
19 May, 2019 
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it has allocated 400,000 euros to support the Iranian Red Crescent Society as well as the people affected by the recent flash floods. The amount will be used to supply emergency relief such as the tents, blankets and kitchen utensils. The funds will also be used to supply the Iranian Red Crescent Society with the necessary relief items to be used in the upcoming emergency situations. 
https://reliefweb.int/report/iran-islamic-republic/icrc-earmarks-400000-euros-help-flood-hit-iranians 

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[[ FOOD SECURITY ]] 







Africa’s food security threatened by poorly performing seed industry 
9 May, 2019 
The poor performance of Africa’s seed industry is threatening food security on the continent, warns a new report. This limits the potential to address food security, nutrition and climate resilience, revealed the study by Amsterdam-based Access to Seeds Foundation on the performance of 23 major seed companies in 22 West and Central African countries. 
https://reliefweb.int/report/lao-peoples-democratic-republic/healthy-diets-vital-progress-lao-pdr-say-un-food-agencies 

Japanese firms getting serious about food waste; households lag behind 
20 May, 2019 
Companies are stepping up efforts to curb food waste in Japan where 6 million tons of edible products are discarded annually, with major convenience store operators the latest to introduce measures to address the issue. 
https://japantoday.com/category/national/focus-japan-firms-getting-serious-about-food-waste-households-lag-behind 

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[[ IRRIGATION ]] 





Maharashtra govt plans to replace flood irrigation with drip for sugarcane farming: India 
16 May, 2019 
The state government is planning to bring in regulation to replace flood irrigation with drip irrigation in sugarcane farming to tackle the severe drought in Maharashtra. The government also plans to make higher budgetary allocations in the Monsoon Session beginning 19 June to expand the scope of subsidies along with other incentives provided to farmers to shift from flood to drip irrigation. 
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sugarcane-farming-maharashtra-govt-plans-to-replace-flood-irrigation-with-drip-for-cane-5730068/ 

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[[ WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ]] 






Karnataka government launches district-wise call centres for water scarcity complaints: India 
14 May, 2019 
The Karnataka government has introduced district-wise call centres for citizens to file complaints of water scarcity in their districts. This comes at a time when 3122 taluks of the state are facing scarcity of water.  
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/karnataka-government-launches-district-wise-call-centres-water-scarcity-complaints-101778 

New nitrogen fertilizer texture may reduce nitrate levels, make water safer 
15 May, 2019 
Nitrate levels in water resources have increased in many areas of the world, largely because of applications of some types of fertilizers in agricultural areas. Since the mid-1920s, the deposits of nitrogen into land has more than doubled, leading to higher levels of nitrate in water resources. Purdue University researchers have developed a fertilizer to try to combat this problem. 
https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2019/Q2/new-nitrogen-fertilizer-texture-may-reduce-nitrate-levels,-make-water-safer.html 

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

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