Topic: Drought

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North Korea to suspend nuclear activity in exchange for food: 5 key questions

Here are five key questions on the link between food and nuclear weapons in North Korea.
North Korea food and nukes: 5 key questions

North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong-un, is accusing the United States of politicizing food aid by linking it to a long-standing demand that North Korea halt its nuclear program.
Photos of the Day: Photos of the Day 08/11
In Pictures: Texas wildfires
Top 10 global weather events of 2010

A panel of weather and climate experts ranked the the Top 10 global weather and climate events of 2010. Voters considered the scope and unusualness of the event, its immediate human and economic impact, and whether it is emblematic of climate trends or variability. They voted during the first week of December, so the following weeks' extreme winter weather in Europe, which may have deserved a spot in the Top 10, received an honorable mention.

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Report: Ethiopians could still go hungry despite economic gains

With its population of 91 million expected to double in the next 22 years, and a drier climate, Ethiopia will have trouble feeding its people, a new report says.
Mexico withers under worst drought in 71 years

Some 2.5 million Mexicans are affected by this extreme drought, which could cause widespread hunger for years to come.
North Korea to suspend nuclear activity in exchange for food: 5 key questions

Here are five key questions on the link between food and nuclear weapons in North Korea.
Climate change may have caused Mayan civilization's collapse

For unknown reasons, the ancient Mayan civilization then disintegrated more than a millennium ago. The number of people declined catastrophically to a fraction of the empire's former size, and the ruins of its great cities are now largely overgrown by jungle.
African droughts: Could insurance schemes help out?

Aid groups are appealing for proactive action, as Horn of Africa drought persists. Could insurance schemes for poor farmers and drought-prone nations provide the answer?
Famine ends in Somalia, as drought looms in West Africa

Aid groups say that improved harvests and food donations have ended risk of starvation, but warn that ongoing war in Somalia could still reverse gains made.
North Korea food and nukes: 5 key questions

North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong-un, is accusing the United States of politicizing food aid by linking it to a long-standing demand that North Korea halt its nuclear program.
Climate change: 2011 temperatures the hottest ever during La Nina

Climate change studies show rising global temperatures – the 10th highest ever – and shrinking ice caps. This year saw the lowest volume of Arctic sea ice ever recorded, due to global warming, say scientists.
Green Economics
The real cost of climate change

There is a lot of money to be had in innovating new ways to adapt to climate change
Green Economics
Adapting to the new dust bowl

Drought in the Southwest is causing a new dust bowl. How can residents adapt?
Winter forecast: La Niña returns, southern drought persists

Last winter – with its droughts, tornado outbreaks, heavy snows, and floods – was a tough one in different ways for millions of people. Be prepared for more of the same this year.
Change Agent
The world doesn't need to go thirsty

With world population expected to grow by 2 billion people by mid-century, supplies of clean water could be tight. But a new study suggests the key is not just how much water is available but how intelligently humanity uses it.
Lubbock dust storm: 8,000 feet high rolls through Texas (VIDEO)

Lubbock dust storm: Dust kicked up by westerly breezes ahead of a strong cold front restricted visibility in Lubbock to about 5 miles all afternoon, said National Weather Service Lubbock meteorologist Matt Ziebell.
Latin America Monitor
Is Latin America prepared for a debate over geoengineering?

Latin America faces four major questions on the controversial topic of using technology to intentionally reshape aspects of Earth and its atmosphere in a way that counteracts climate change.
Epic scorching drought testing Texas' ways

Massive droughts caused by wildfires in Texas have ravaged the environment, incited a tug of war for available water, and fundamentally changed the way of life for the state’s millions of residents.
As Ugandan nomads adapt to drought, less dependence on food aid

After a decade of Ugandan military operations to disarm rival clans, Uganda's Karamoja region has become more secure. Now the region is becoming more self-sufficient.
African musicians look to launch new 'Band Aid' to fight East Africa famine

Sara Mitaru, a Kenyan singer-songwriter, is rallying artists across the continent to raise money for the East Africa famine – and to put pressure on African governments to chip in as well.
Help starving Somalia now

The worst drought in 60 years has brought 12 million people to the brink of starvation. Time is running out to avoid a large-scale disaster.
Photos of the Day: Photos of the Day 08/11
Texas toasts but will it conserve?

The Lone Start State is breaking heat and drought records this summer, with no end in sight. But it's record on conserving water is so-so at best.
Africa Monitor
Somalia famine: Lessons we can take away

Somalia expert Ken Menkhaus spoke with a guest blogger from the Enough Project about what policies need to change for a durable solution to the famine.
China's farmers see hope in effort to stem soil erosion caused by Three Gorges Dam

A project inserting terraces and drainage has boosted production where soil has been severely eroded along the flood-prone Yangtze River, offering a possible solution to the bigger problem of China's Three Gorges.
Famine in the Horn of Africa: why the world is slow to respond

Millions of lives are at stake in the drought and famine in East Africa, but aid is hampered by security concerns in Somalia and donors surprised by the severity of the crisis.
Africa Monitor
East Africa drought reaches Kenya's electricity grid

East Africa's drought has brought down water levels at Kenya's power dams, forcing power companies to ration it. Nairobi, the Rift Valley, and western Kenya will see the worst blackouts.
Famine in Horn of Africa is as deserving of American help as a tsunami or earthquake

American generosity is too often triggered by a sudden event like an earthquake or tsunami. The drought and hunger now ravaging the Horn of Africa are no less severe. Millions face starvation, and the UN has just declared a state of famine in southern Somalia.