Water wars: How conflicts over resources are set to rise amid climate change: World Economic Forum

Water shortages for one in four children in areas of extreme water shortage by 2040

   • From erratic rainfall to severe droughts, global warming is increasing competition for water around the world, with water-related conflicts on the rise.

 
  • According to the WRI, more than two billion people live in countries experiencing "high" water stress.

 
  • Conserving forests, wetlands and watersheds, including those around cities, can help absorb rainfall, helping stem crop losses from flooding and drought.

From Yemen to India, and parts of Central America to the African Sahel, about a quarter of the world's people face extreme water shortages that are fueling conflict, social unrest and migration, water experts said on Wednesday.

With the world's population rising and climate change bringing more erratic rainfall, including severe droughts, competition for scarcer water is growing, they said, with serious consequences.

"If there is no water, people will start to move. If there is no water, politicians are going to try and get their hands on it and they might start to fight over it," warned Kitty van der Heijden, head of international cooperation at the Netherlands' foreign ministry.

Map of baseline water stress for countries

One in four children worldwide will be living in areas of extremely high water stress by 2040, researchers estimated.

"It's threats like these that keep me up at night," the diplomat told a webinar hosted by the World Resources Institute (WRI), a U.S.-based research group.

African boy gathering muddy water

 According to the WRI, 17 countries face "extremely high" levels of water stress, while more than two billion people live in countries experiencing "high" water stress.

In terms of water availability, "at some point we are going to hit the wall, and that wall might be different in different places", Heijden said.

Climate change is compounding the challenge, she said, with cities such as India's Chennai and South Africa's Cape Town battling severe water shortages in recent years related in part to erratic rainfall.

Disputes over water have for millenia served as a flashpoint, driving political instability and conflict, the water experts said.

And "the risks of water-related disputes are growing .. in part because of growing scarcity over water", said Peter Gleick, co-founder of the California-based Pacific Institute, which jointly published the report with WRI and The Water, Peace and Security Partnership.

Drought affecting Central American farming

But as water scarcity grows, water systems are also increasingly becoming targets in other types of conflicts, said Gleick, whose institute has compiled a chronology of water conflicts that dates back 5,000 years.

In Yemen, years of fighting has destroyed water infrastructure, leaving millions without safe water to drink or grow crops. Wells and other water facilities also have been targets in Somalia, Iraq, Syria and other countries, he said.

Smarter irrigation

India is already hot

Recurring droughts in parts of Central America and the African Sahel in recent years have triggered migration as subsistence farmers, whose harvests have been decimated by low rainfall, seek refuge and jobs in other countries.

One key to tackling water scarcity is boosting investment in more sparing use of water in agriculture, an industry that absorbs more than two-thirds of the water used by people each year, the experts said.

Brazil slashes budget to fight climate change as deforestation spikes: Reuters

Climate change driving Brazil's drought; Climate Change News.com

BRASILIA 

"Efforts to keep the Amazon rainforest standing and reduce Brazil’s planet-warming emissions are being hampered by budget cuts for the country’s environmental watchdog and its main climate change programme, researchers have said. 

Brazil has seen a sharp spike in deforestation under the right-wing government of President Jair Bolsonaro, with less than half the forest inspectors it had a decade ago and the COVID-19 pandemic spreading rapidly across the Amazon region. 

Compared with 2019, the first five months of 2020 registered a

Amazon deforestration: Climate Change News com

substantial drop in government spending on forest inspection activities carried out by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama). 

For January to May 2019, the amount allocated was R$17.4 million ($3.24 million), against R$5.3 million so far in 2020, according to figures provided by the Institute of Socioeconomic Studies (INESC), a non-profit organisation that has analysed Brazil’s public budget for more than 30 years. 

Rare 'fire tornado' rips through California as heat wave descends on the US: CNN

Aug 17, 2020

2020 has reached into its bag of tricks again and tossed out another surprise - this time in the form of a swirling fire.

Or as meteorologists call it, a "firenado" - short for fire tornado.

The rare and fiery tornado was spotted Saturday near a fire in California.

A huge forest fire that prompted evacuations north of Los Angeles flared up around noon Saturday, August 15, sending up a cloud of smoke as it headed toward thick, dry brush in the Angeles National Forest. (AP)

The National Weather Service Office issued a tornado warning for a pyrocumulonimbus cloud that formed by the Loyalton Fire, saying it was "capable of producing a fire-induced tornado and outflow winds in excess of 97km/h," CNN meteorologist Haley Brink said.

A pyrocumulonimbus cloud forms above intense rising heat, typically from a fire or volcano.

Fire tornadoes are created when the rising heat from a fire pulls in smoke, fire and dirt, creating a rotation vortex above the blaze, Ms Brink said.

Fire tornadoes can be massive and deadly.

#wildfire, #bushfires

When the National Weather Service surveyed the damage on that firenado, it determined it was equivalent to an EF-3 tornado with winds in excess of 230km/h.

Officials in California, Oregon and Colorado are battling a series of wildfires that have collectively torched more than 40,000 hectares - and things could get worse with intense heat descending on much of the US.

The Loyalton Fire has burned over 8000 hectares and was five per cent contained by early Sunday.

Related: We need action to prevent further catastophic fires and we need to be prepared for wildfires

#wildfire, #bushfires, #California, #heatwaves, #drought, #climatechange, #climateaction, #cambio-climatico, #jailclimatecriminals,  

See original 9 story

We need action to prevent further catastophic fires and we need to be prepared for wildfires

There is no climate sceptic on the end of a fire hose. #jailclimatecriminals

Governments must prepare for catastrophic fires.
 
* Establishing services to support those ‘burned out’ and those who cannot insure

* rezoning areas unsuitable for building

* changing building regulations

* employing indigenous people to carry out controlled burning to reduce fuel loads as they have done for thousands of years

* increasing the numbers of professional firefighters, giving more support to volunteer firefighters and purchasing more aviation support are just small steps.

* increasing funding for bushfire research

* the most important action for governments is to cut carbon targets and to pressure other countries to do the same. Tariffs on carbon reckless countries, like the USA, Saudi Arabia, China and Australia are inevitable.

and

Koalas suffered greatly. #jailclimatecriminals

* funding air support.


" The main reason more prescribed burning has not been done is the risk the deliberately lit fires will get out of control and burn down property, or otherwise choke population areas with unhealthy amounts of smoke.

This risk has gone up with the drought, which has meant there are fewer days every year with low-risk fire conditions. It's also gone up with population levels, which has meant more people are affected by prescribed burning.

#climatecrisis, heatwaves  

"With many prescribed burns now conducted close to the expanding urban fringe and close to essential infrastructure and agriculture, the community tolerance levels are very low to heavy smoke and potential damage to delicate ecosystems," Dr Thornton says."

"....  Mr Bradstock described it as a "tired and old conspiracy theory" while Greg Mullins said ex-fire chiefs were annoyed that the fires were being used for political attack."

#bushfire,  #wildfire,  #jailclimatecriminals

"Greg Mullins (former NSW fire and rescue commissioner Greg Mullins) said climate change means it's often too dangerous to burn: "Extreme drought like this, underpinned by 20 years of reduced rainfall, has meant the window for hazard reduction is very narrow now."

He also said a long-term reduction in forestry and national parks personnel has meant hazard reduction has fallen to volunteers."

California fires 2020

How effective is hazard reduction?

Many bushfire experts want to see more hazard reduction, but they also say there's a danger in presenting prescribed burning and fuel management measures as a 'silver bullet solution' to the continent's increasing fire risk.

Some areas are suitable for prescribed burning, while others are not.

"The complexities around hazard reduction burning are large and growing," said Dr Richard Thornton, CEO of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre."

https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/is-more-prescribed-burning-the-answer-to-bushfire-threat/11844766

#wildfire,  #bushfire,  #firefighters,  #climatecrisis

  "Australia faces a "nightmare scenario" of escalating and catastrophic natural disasters without urgent action on climate change, the bushfires royal commission has been told.

A group of 33 former fire and emergency services chiefs wants the royal commission to record as fact that climate change was the main driver of the extreme weather conditions behind Australia's unprecedented bushfire season.

"We think that this is a great opportunity for an authoritative body to spell out loud and clear that if it wasn't for climate change we would not have faced the bushfires that we did," former Fire and Rescue NSW commissioner Greg Mullins told AAP.

"That the science is very clear that we would not have had weather conditions like we did if it wasn't for a warming climate and the fires were driven by extreme weather."" The Canberra Times, May 24,2020

Catastrophic bushfires and catastrophic fire seasons will become a new normal due to the shortening of fuel reduction periods, increasing severe droughts and extreme temperatures. 

See also: Preparing for heatwaves
 

Related: California begins rolling blackouts as state faces worst heat in 70 years (excerpt): SMH

#jailclimatecriminals, #jail the climate criminals, #wildfire, #bushfires, #climateaction, #heatwaves, #drought, #firestorms, #Australia, #California, #cambio-climatico, 

Video - Impact of climate change on Australian industries: CNBC

Sadly, at the federal government level in Australia, there is a lack of political will and action when it comes to climate change, Martin Rice, acting CEO at the Climate Council told CNBC. 

Subscribe to CNBC Life: http://cnb.cx/2wAkfMv 

Subscribe to CNBC International: http://cnb.cx/2gft82z

Related:

Australia's Climate Council- Worth Checking Out the Website

 

video, Great Barrier Reef, jobs, tourism, #drought, #renewables, energy storage, electricity, carbon, Climate Council, #stranded assets

 

 

 

World's three hottest Julys happened in the last five years: Reuters (excerpt)

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -

We want climate action now

 "Last month was the world’s third-hottest July on record, new data show — the latest milestone in a global warming trend that has seen the three hottest Julys within the last five years.

With the heat has come a high level of ice melt in the Arctic, where the extent of sea ice last month hit the lowest level for July since the polar satellite record-keeping began four decades ago, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. 

California burnt

The new findings come as France and Belgium brace for a possible weekend heat wave, while Italian roads near an Alpine glacier were closed amid warnings that high temperatures could cause ice to collapse. 


“It’s not just a summer thing,” said Copernicus senior scientist Freja Vamborg. “It’s on a global scale, and all months are warming.” 


Atmospheric temperature records dating back to the mid-19th century reveal the last five years to be the hottest yet. In terms of records for the month of July, only 2019 and 2016 were warmer than last month. "

Go to complete Reuters article 

See also:

This Is Inequity at the Boiling Point: The Conversation (excerpt)

 

HERE IS THE SAME ARTICLE IN MANDARIN.

世界上三个最炎热的七月发生在过去五年中：路透社（节选）
布鲁塞尔（路透社）-

＃热浪，监狱气候犯罪分子
我们现在要采取气候行动
 “新数据显示，上个月是有记录以来世界上第三最热的七月。这是全球变暖趋势的最新里程碑，

过去五年来，这是最热的三个七月。


伴随着热量的到来，北极地区的冰层融化程度很高，据欧盟哥白尼气候变化服务局称，

上个月海冰的程度达到了自四十多年前极地卫星保持记录以来的七月份的最低水平。 。

“它在全球范围内，而且所有月份都在变暖。”
加州烧毁
新发现是在法国和比利时为周末可能出现的热浪做好准备的同时，

意大利阿尔卑斯山冰川附近的道路因警告高温可能导致冰塌而关闭。


哥白尼资深科学家Freja Vamborg说：“这不仅仅是夏天。” 

“它在全球范围内，而且所有月份都在变暖。”


高温还与野火联系在一起，野火一直在烧焦西伯利亚森林
始于19世纪中叶的大气温度记录显示，过去五年是最热的。

就7月份的记录而言，只有2019年和2016年比上个月温暖。 ”

去完成路透社的文章

Shìjiè shàng sān gè zuì yánrè de qī yuè fāshēng 

zài guòqù wǔ nián zhōng: Lùtòu shè (jiéxuǎn)
bùlǔsài'ěr (lùtòu shè)-

#rèlàng, jiānyù qìhòu fànzuì fēnzǐ
wǒmen xiànzài yào cǎiqǔ qìhòu xíngdòng
 “xīn shùjù xiǎnshì, shàng gè yuè shì yǒu jìlù 

yǐlái shìjiè shàng dì sān zuì rè de qī yuè. 

Zhè shì quánqiú biàn nuǎn qūshì de zuìxīn lǐchéngbēi, 

guòqù wǔ niánlái, zhè shì zuì rè de sān gè qī yuè.


Bàn suí zháo rèliàng de dàolái, 

běijídìqū de bīng céng rónghuà chéngdù hěn gāo, 

jù ōuméng gē bái ní qìhòu biànhuà fúwù jú chēng, 

shàng gè yuè hǎi bīng de chéngdù dádàole zì sìshí duō nián qián jí dì wèixīng 

bǎochí jìlù yǐlái de qī yuèfèn de zuìdī shuǐpíng. .

“Tā zài quánqiú fànwéi nèi, érqiě suǒyǒu yuèfèn dōu zài biàn nuǎn.”
Jiāzhōu shāohuǐ
xīn fāxiàn shì zài fàguó hé bǐlìshí wèi zhōumò kěnéng 

chūxiàn de rèlàng zuò hǎo zhǔnbèi de tóngshí, 

yìdàlì ā'ěrbēisī shān bīngchuān fùjìn de dàolù yīn jǐnggào gāowēn kěnéng dǎozhì 

bīng tā ér guānbì.


Gē bái ní zīshēn kēxuéjiā Freja Vamborg shuō:“Zhè bùjǐn jǐn shì xiàtiān.” 

“Tā zài quánqiú fànwéi nèi, érqiě suǒyǒu yuèfèn dōu zài biàn nuǎn.”


Gāowēn hái yǔ yěhuǒ liánxì zài yīqǐ, yěhuǒ yīzhí zài shāo jiāo xībólìyǎ sēnlín
shǐ yú 19 shìjì zhōngyè de dàqì wēndù jìlù xiǎnshì, guòqù wǔ nián shì zuì rè de. 

Jiù 7 yuèfèn de jìlù ér yán, zhǐyǒu 2019 nián hé 2016 nián bǐ shàng gè yuè wēnnuǎn. ”

Qù wánchéng lùtòu shè de wénzhāng

#heatwaves, #climatechange, #climatecrisis, #drought, #extremeheat, #wildfire, 

#人类灭绝

9 Ways to assist Australia's farmers with climate change

"Global warming affects agriculture in a number of ways, including through changes in average temperatures, rainfall, and climate extremes (e.g., heat waves); changes in pests and diseases; changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide and ground-level ozone concentrations; changes in the nutritional quality of some foods; and ..."

Climate change and agriculture - Wikipedia

.....................................

Angry Summer by The Climate Council

It is obvious that many farmers are going to be displaced because of climate change. As their usual crops become unviable and broad scale farming becomes uneconomical because of costs, it is impossible to continue to subsidise farmers that continue to farm or to graze unsuitable animals in an unsustainable fashion. Yet farmers need government support and Australia requires food production.

Australia must learn to manage with less surface water. Artesian water resources must be husbanded.

Suggested Actions

1. “What we still don’t have in the year 2019 is a national (Australian) strategy on climate change in agriculture. There’s still no actual framework to help farmers manage these risks and implement solutions,” she said. Verity Morgan-Schmidt, the chief executive of Farmers for Climate Action

2. Revitalise, with extra funding, our agricultural support services that have provided excellent research and development in the past, new crops and animal husbandry practices can be developed.

3. Provide education for farmers that demonstrate alternative farming practices, for example move from cattle to goats.

4. Only subsidise farmers that change their practice to accommodate a changing climate and protect our soils but retrain farmers unable to accommodate change.

5. Encourage small farming practices such as permaculture, greenhouse production, urban farms.

Note: Intensive farming practices have been shown to be as productive as industrial broad scale farming.

6.  Stop selling water off or subsidising in any way corporations that persist in growing water hungry crops such as cotton and almonds in water scarce areas.

7.  Protect our surface and artesian water from destructive and unsustainable industries.

8.  Support farmers to plan moves from floodplains or cope with more flooding. 

Droughts will occur more often. Soils will erode. Desertification will occur.

9.  Encourage farmers to 'get a yield' with new products.

" 'Agritourism, insect farming off waste resources, bush tucker foods — there are options out there, but it's not traditional agriculture in that sense.'

" 'We need support structures, new ideas, people helping us transition to these other production industries. ' "

She (Anika) believes the first step needs to come from the energy sector to buy more time for other industries to develop response strategies.

'The easiest way to put the brakes on what we are experiencing is to transition away from dirty fossil fuel energy to clean, renewable energy; that then takes the pressure off other industries.' "

From:Anika Molesworth in ABC's: The future of farming in the era of climate change

An article by Preparations for Climate Change

See also:  Preparing for a Climate Change Health Crisis

Climate change talk has been around for 30 years. Where's the action? / ABC Radio National Excerpt

 "Since 2015, the world has seen its five hottest years on record. Much of the eastern part of the country has been gripped by drought.

A few summers ago, fires burnt parts of alpine Tasmania that hadn't burnt in a thousand years. Last year was the hottest year in Australia since records began — and we had the biggest bushfires in history."

Scientists have repeatedly warned that the effects of climate change would include more extreme weather.(Supplied: Gena Dray)

Scientists have warned us about the dangers of 2 degrees of warming — at the moment, we're heading for more than that.(ABC News: Jordan Hayne)

'Scientists have spelt out this out repeatedly for 30 years, and environmental groups have championed the cause. But both made mistakes.

 For too long, scientists believed that the facts spoke for themselves, that all they had to do was get them out there. And the NGOs had a tendency come across as self-righteous, or guilt-trippy.

I was already on board — with me they were preaching to the choir — but I don't think they pulled in enough other people.

Climate Action Now

But here we are. After years of drought at home, and increasingly extreme weather all over the world, polling shows that most of us get it enough to think climate change is a problem and that we should do something about it.

And yet we've done very little. I want to know why. That's why I've made this series.

And yes, part of it turns out to be the fossil fuel industry. Part of it turns out to be that change is hard, and that it's been easier for politicians to do little, especially when they are themselves divided.

But part of it turns out to be you and me — our own psychology, the stuff that makes us human, means acting on climate change is hard to do.

Not that it can't be done — and there is hope. We'll get to that too. I hope you'll join me for Hot Mess."'

 By Richard Aedy for Hot Mess 

Richard Aedy has been a journalist for more than 30 years. He's been concerned about climate change for most of that time. He's been at Radio National since 1998. 

Read the complete ABC article 

Related: Climate change is deadlier than the Coronavirus: CAA

#drought, #wildfire, droughts, bushfire, science, climate science, Australia, #Australia, fossil fuel subsidies,  #climatejustice