Water
Bonn makes only lukewarm progress to tackle a red-hot climate crisis
At mid-year UN talks, negotiators have achieved little to get more help to those struggling with fiercer floods, cyclones and heatwaves in South Asia
Cancellation of UN climate weeks removes platform for worst-hit communities
The UNFCCC has said it will not hold regional climate weeks in 2024 due to a funding shortfall – which means less inclusion for developing-country voices
What will it take to protect India’s angry farmers from climate threats?
Indebted farmers, facing falling yields and water scarcity, want legally guaranteed price support for more crops – but that may not fix their climate woes
Seen from space: Extreme drought dries up rivers across the globe
In China, Lake Poyang is just a quarter of its normal size, while in Germany, the Rhine is running at 45% of its average levels for August
Between a wolf and its food: as one deep sea miner flops, others eye the prize
The Metals Company is running out of money, but the regulator is still fast-tracking rules to mine the ocean while other prospectors wait in the wings
German minister backs Middle East ‘peace through water’ plan
The proposals aim to harness solar power to bring drinking water to Palestinian territories but Israel’s support is needed
Drought-hit town hopes Chile’s new leader will take back water from Big Avocado
Leftist Gabriel Boric won a landslide to become Chile’s president and backs reform to improve water rights and access for communities like Petorca
Afghanistan at risk of hunger amid drought and Taliban takeover
As the Taliban seizes control of Afghanistan, experts warn severe drought could worsen the humanitarian crisis triggered by an exodus of western forces
Fatal floods expose gaps in Germany’s disaster preparedness
While heavy rain was forecast, infrastructure was overwhelmed and many residents did not get the message about the dangers
Chileans look to new constitution to return water to communities
Rural communities hope the drafting of a new constitution will dismantle water privatisation in Chile and recognise the right to access water
Ocean fire exposes weak regulation of Mexico’s oil and gas sector
After ‘eye of fire’ footage goes viral, Pemex denies its ruptured gas pipe caused environmental damage and campaigners demand an investigation
An outbreak of ‘sea snot’ is killing Turkey’s fishing industry
Fishing in the Marmara Sea has become impossible as marine mucilage blankets the water, blamed on rising sea temperatures and pollution
Lost to sea: The Ivory Coast villagers saving their ancestors from rising waves
As rising sea levels slowly engulf the ancestral graves of a fishing community in Ivory Coast, residents are moving their relatives before their bodies are lost forever
Covid exposes Mexico City’s water access gap between rich and poor
The coronavirus pandemic lays bare the impact of Mexico City’s mounting water crisis on vulnerable households, while gated communities enjoy reliable supplies
African ministers call for investment in Great Green Wall to aid Covid-19 recovery
Plans for an 8,000km green belt across the Sahel region have stalled, with fresh funds needed to halt desertification and create sustainable livelihoods
Malawi’s farmers grow crops with ‘magic liquid’ fertiliser
‘Bionitrate’ made from urine is starting to help yields for farmers in Malawi who face high costs fertilising maize and other crops amid shifting weather patterns
Coronavirus: UN delays talks on global ocean biodiversity treaty
Observers say additional time could help countries agree on rules to create marine protected areas in parts of the ocean that lie beyond national jurisdiction
‘Mysterious’ seasons harm Nigeria’s farmers who need help with climate change
Smallholder farmers grow 90% of Nigeria’s food but their crops are vulnerable to ever more extreme weather linked to climate change. New technologies can help
Stinky seaweed chokes American coast due to hotter oceans and deforestation
Sargassum is a natural occurrence on beaches in the Caribbean but warmer waters and the use of fertilisers has seen it proliferate dramatically in recent years
Poland faces threat of water crisis as rivers dry up
Experts warn Poland could face a serious water crisis in coming years, if the country of 38 million people fails to capture more water