Report focuses on preventing North African drought

Report focuses on preventing North African drought

Nations in North Africa need to become more proactive in preventing drought before it happens in what is one of the world’s most water-scarce regions. That’s according to a report released Friday by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), released in conjunction with World Day to Combat Desertification and…

Study questions food scarcity link in driving African conflict

Study questions food scarcity link in driving African conflict

It isn’t climate change that will increase the frequency of civil war in Africa as a result of food scarcity, according to a study recently published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics. Rather, it’s the abundance of food that attracts armed actors and creates an incentive for controlling resources. “Understanding…

Somalia’s cholera outbreak linked to drought, climate

World Health organization officials say an “unprecedented” outbreak of cholera in Somalia is linked to the drought that began in October 2016, creating widespread shortages of clean drinking water and food. There are more than 40,000 suspected cases since the beginning of the year, with nearly 700 deaths to date,…

Somalia: World Bank approves USD$50 million for drought emergency

The World Bank has approved USD$50 million in grant funding to assist with the drought and famine response, and provide humanitarian aid to Somalia. The Somalia Emergency Drought Response and Recovery Project (SEDRP) will be coordinated through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations Food…

This is not a drill: Cape Town, climate and the water crisis

The water crisis and unrelenting drought in Cape Town, South Africa, have become so dire that city officials on Tuesday recommended the highest level of water restrictions for its nearly 4 million people. “This is not a drill,” the city said, in a public message clearly marked as a drought…

Laureen Fagan

Laureen is the editor of Africa Times

South Africa summit, new report focus on waste water as resource

South African President Jacob Zuma welcomed participants to the United Nations World Water Day summit in Durban on Wednesday, to begin a three-day conference on global water resources. The meeting served as launch for the 2017 World Water Development Report, with its emphasis on waste water resources and their recapture….