drought

Scorching weather continues across South and Southeast Asia

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But the government’s decision to shutter schools was no relief to 13-year-old Nur. Her cramped one-room home in the megacity, shared with her younger brother and parents, feels almost as suffocating as the streets outside. “The heat is intolerable. Our school is shut, but I can’t study at home. The electric fan does not cool … Read more

Even gardens have a carbon footprint. Here’s how to reduce the climate impact of urban farming

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Urban gardening might seem fairly innocuous when it comes to its overall carbon footprint, but when compared to conventional agriculture, a study released earlier this year would suggest otherwise.  The study, published in January in the science journal Nature, found the carbon footprint of food from urban agriculture is six times greater than conventional agriculture. But there are … Read more

How cloud seeding can make it rain or prevent extreme weather

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Cloud seeding has been named by some media reports as a possible contributor to record-setting rain and flooding in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Here’s a closer look at what cloud seeding is, how it’s used and whether it could have made the flooding worse. What is cloud seeding? It’s the process of making tiny drops … Read more

Canada at risk of another devastating wildfire season, federal government warns

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The federal government says Canada could face another destructive wildfire season because of an unusually warm winter, widespread drought conditions and a forecast of above-normal temperatures in the months ahead. Officials said during a technical briefing Wednesday that more dry, hot weather is expected this spring and summer, putting much of the country at greater … Read more

Australia should prepare for ‘megadroughts’: Report

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NEW DELHI: New research from the Australian National University suggests that Australia should prepare itself for ‘megadroughts‘ lasting over 20 years due to human-induced global heating. These megadroughts, defined as prolonged periods of below-average rainfall, have recurred every 150 to 1,000 years in the continent’s history. Dr Georgy Falster, the lead researcher, pointed out that … Read more

No water, no oil: How the parched western provinces could hamper the oilpatch

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Persistent and severe drought conditions across Western Canada could have a devastating effect on the oil and natural gas sector, which has drilling operations in some of the driest areas, according to a new report by Deloitte. Limited water supply could have significant effects on the production of oil and gas, the report warns, and … Read more

‘We are losing the Amazon rainforest’: Record number of wildfires in parts of Brazil

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Fire is sucking the life out of parts of the Amazon rainforest. In Roraima State, in northern Brazil, the number of fires in February were more than five times the average, according to data from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, and blazes continued to burn through March. “We are losing the Amazon rainforest. These … Read more

All eyes are on the future of freshwater after a winter of record heat

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Quirks and Quarks19:36Water, water, everywhere. But will we have enough to drink? After a winter that smashed heat records, researchers around the world are taking a close look at how human disturbances and the rapidly changing climate are affecting the world’s freshwater supply. “We’re reducing both water quantity and water quality,” says Katrina Moser, an associate professor … Read more