Delayed weather information left 12 districts flood-hit in Bihar last month, a trend that leaves communities in Nepal and India vulnerable and surprised by heavy rain.
Researchers collected groundwater from nine countries across sub-Sahara Africa to study how climate change, and particularly, changing rainfall patterns, will impact demand.
In sub-Saharan Africa, groundwater provides a reliable and consistent water source. A new report highlights the impact of climate change and variability on how groundwater is restocked.
More freshwater will probably be drawn from underground sources as climate change impacts water supplies above land in Africa. But how much of that water can be used sustainably?
Over 200 people are dead and millions affected due to the recent monsoons across India, Nepal and Bangladesh, causing heavy flooding. These maps show the extent of damage, for crops and livelihoods.
A new urgency is being felt on climate change. Schoolchildren are striking, there are protests in the streets, and politicians across the world, including the UK, are pushing to call climate change a national emergency. In some regions, heat and pests will not be the most significant climate threat – flooding will. The International Water Management Institute is therefore trialling several options to keep farmers’ yields and profits safe from the storms.
In the mountainous areas of Nepal, springs are the primary source of water for remote communities, serving as a mainstay of rural livelihoods. Springs are especially critical for dry-season agriculture because they can provide access to water stored in groundwater aquifers. The discharge from springs is declining, however, possibly as a result of population growth and changes in land use (including agricultural expansion and deforestation) and the climate. Recharging and sustaining groundwater aquifers is key for ensuring year-round water availability in connected springs and for reducing the reliance of upland communities on rainfall.
In mountainous areas of Nepal, springs are the primary source of water for remote communities, serving as a mainstay of rural livelihoods, but discharge from springs is declining. Recharging and sustaining groundwater aquifers is key for ensuring year-round water availability. IWMI researchers are using environmental isotopes analysis, hydro-meteorological and hydrogeological measurements to identify the dominant recharge zones for springs.
Can changing our diet save the planet? When the EAT-Lancet Commission launched a new landmark report last month, it was widely interpreted as saying that forking down less red meat and more vegetables should ensure that we can provide nutritious food for 10 billion people while maintaining a healthy Earth.
