The global cost of disasters is growing: The economic burden of disasters is intensifying. While the direct costs of disasters averaged $70–80 billion a year between 1970 and 2000, between 2001 and 2020 these annual costs grew significantly to $180–200 billion. But the real cost is far higher. Disaster costs …
The province of Balochistan and parts of Sindh province of Pakistan are in the grip of a drought. This is likely to affect cotton, rice and sugarcane crops, the mainstay of the country's agrarian economy. Experts say lack of rain is not the main reason for water shortage in Pakistan. …
The Uttaranchal government has declared 56 of the state's 78 tehsil s drought-hit. A Union government team recently noted that more than 50 per cent of the rabi crop in Nainital district has been affected. The state government has responded with an aid package of Rs 33 crore. But experts …
Climatic changes, droughts, floods, heat/cold waves, pests, diseases and poverty dynamics is a complex phenomenon demanding multidisciplinary management of early warning systems, risk assessment, insurance and mitigation.
the water level of Africa's Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in the world, has dropped dramatically by two metres in the last 45 years. Though drought has been largely blamed for this dip, a closer look by environmentalists and politicians in Uganda points to a new culprit: the …
As Spain faces another year of drought, the government has imposed drastic restrictions and plans to recycle all water used in the capital, Madrid, by 2012. The plan will come into effect in April, 2006. Paz Gonz
For over a decade, Orissa has been teetering from one extreme weather condition to another: from heatwaves to cyclones, drought to floods. The state has been declared disaster-affected for 95 of the last 105 years. Why is this happening? Is it the result of global warming and climate change? Richard …
A searing drought that threatens livelihood of millions of people in East Africa is also leading to a human-elephant clash. The search for water and food is drawing elephants in the Kenyan National Park and other reserves, close to human settlements and crop fields. Elephants have killed two people after …
In all the drama over the November 2005 legislative assembly elections in Bihar, the drought afflicting a large part of the state got short shrift. Though all political parties made promises to deal with drought, it scarcely became an election issue. This was new to Bihar's political cauldron
a team of scientists in the us has developed tomato plants with high tolerance to drought conditions. It is believed that the results can be replicated in other crop plants. Led by Kendal Hirschi, a researcher at Texas a & m University's Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center and Baylor's College …
Albania in southeastern Europe has imposed severe power cutbacks in the country. Drought and poorly maintained infrastructure threaten to bring electricity production to a halt in the country. Electricity supply for general consumers are to be restricted to four to eight hours a day, said Korporata Elektro-energjetike Shqiptare (kesh), the …
bacco off the shelf: Thailand has taken a strong step against tobacco sales in the country. They ordered vendors in September to remove all cigarettes from display or risk a US $50,000 fine. Activists say cigarette packets are also effectively an advertisement and so should be hidden from view. sa …
As some regions in Australia enter the fourth year of drought, the federal government has announced changes to the exceptional circumstances drought assistance. Under the amendments, 19 areas in New South Wales, three in Victoria, one in South Australia and two Queensland boards will automatically be re-assessed to see if …
"Rainfall and floods are annual features in many parts of the country. Instead of thinking on interlinking of rivers only during flood and drought, it's time we implement this programme with a great sense of urgency. We need to make an effort to overcome various hurdles in our way to …
The heat wave in Portugal and Spain continues to bring more forest fires. The fires have killed at least 15 people in Portugal and burnt at least 180,000 hectares land. Five per cent of the country's forest cover has been lost. It is believed that while lightning and other environmental …
scientists from the University of Hyderabad have mapped the drought-tolerant genes in the indica sub-species of rice. "Though such work has been done earlier for japonica rice, it was irrelevant for India where most rice varieties belong to the indica sub-species,' says Ajay Parida, programme director, biotechnology with Chennai-based M …
The past year's droughts in Africa, central America, Asia and Europe are part of an emerging, global warming-induced pattern that will become more pronounced if climate change is not curbed. In 2005, one in six countries will face food shortages, un scientists warned on June 29, 2005. The admonition was …
The authors in this paper present a factual and a brief review of the extreme weather events that occurred in India during the last 100 years (1991-2004). The socio-economic impacts of the extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, cyclones, hail storm, thunderstorm, heat and cold waves have been increasing …
Drought-struck Djibouti, on Africa's eastern coast, is experiencing severe food and water shortage. The country's local economy is almost entirely dependent on livestock rearing but the recent drought has destroyed its pastures and killed livestock. Its woes have further been increased by the burden of herders migrating from neighbouring, drought-affected …
South Asian emissions of fossil fuel SO2 and black carbon increased 6-fold since 1930, resulting in large atmospheric concentrations of black carbon and other aerosols. This period also witnessed strong negative trends of surface solar radiation, surface evaporation, and summer monsoon rainfall. These changes over India were accompanied by an …
