climate-change

The impacts of climate change could get a lot worse if urgent measures are not instituted

CLIMATE CHANGE: ‘Unprecedented’ coordination needed to fight climate change, Firms commit to kill emissions, Congo forest will soon stop soaking carbon

UN study: Unprecedented Coordination Needed to Tackle Climate and Disaster Risks

A UN report says unprecedented level of coordination is needed to tackle rising emissions, extreme weathers, and achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Solutions range from reducing the need to build sea walls through better coastal management, to tackling threats to economies from climate change by building resilience in the local tourism sector.

Study: Climate change can deplete farmer income by 25%

Economic survey has warned that climate change can dry up farmers’ income by 20-25%. The survey said “the proportion of dry days (rainfall less than 0.1 mm per day), as well as wet days (rainfall greater than 80 mm per day) has increased steadily over time”. Extending drip irrigation, replacing power subsidies by cash transfers and reviewing the cereals-centric policy can help fight climate change, the survey says.

Cape Town to run out of water in 3 months

Cape Town’s water crisis is steadily deepening, in just 3 months the South African city is likely to run out of water. On ‘Day Zero’, estimated to be May 11, the officials will turn off the taps and residents will be given water on ration, authorities are fearing anarchy. Cape Town’s reservoirs have almost dried up in three years of consecutive drought, which experts say is a preview of disasters climate change could cause.

Mahindra Commits to Science-Based Emissions Reductions, Calls on Other Companies to Join Him

Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra called upon ‘most polluting businesses’ to commit to setting emission targets in line with climate science, ahead of Global Climate Action Summit in September and at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24) in December. 330+ companies have already committed to the Science Based Targets initiative.

Almost 900 more companies have declared their ambition to set science-based targets. The San Francisco Global Climate Action Summit aims to showcase climate action around the world, to boost countries’ confidence to go even further when they meet at the United Nations COP24 in November.

Talanoa Dialogue portal launched

The UN launched the Talanoa Dialogue portal allowing countries to check progress on the Paris Agreement. The portal invites contributions from countries, businesses and civil society around 3 questions: Where are we? Where do we want to go? How do we get there?

The Dialogue was launched at COP23 in Bonn in November 2017 and will run throughout 2018. Experts say, current national climate action plans known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to reduce emissions are not enough to prepare against increasing climate change.

Climate change, deforestation threaten largest tropical peatland

A new study has revealed that the world’s largest tropical peatland in remote Congo basin, The Cuvette Centrale peatlands, is on the brink of losing ability to soak up large amount of carbon, thanks to climate change, and deforestation. Peatlands stretch across central Africa and store as much as 30bn tonnes of carbon. If left unaddressed, the Congo peatlands may turn from a carbon sink to a carbon source, the study says.

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