The Stream, August 14: Food and Water Relief Measures

France, the United States and G20 president Mexico have scheduled a conference call at the end of this month to decide whether they should hold an emergency international meeting to address potential food price spikes amid a relentless drought in the U.S. and poor crops in key Black Sea grain regions, Reuters reported.

A group of researchers published an editorial in The New York Times last weekend, stating that drought conditions may be the “new normal” for the United States if fossil fuel emissions remain at current levels.

It’s not drought alone that is lifting food prices. Poor management and excess irrigation have put added pressure on the U.S. water supply, prompting conversations about the need for future planning, according to Inter Press Service.

Although flooding in Manila has begun to subside, an impending storm is threatening to intensify the effects of last week’s monsoon rains, which displaced hundreds of thousands and killed nearly 100 people, The Australian reported.

Vietnam has pledged to donate 5,000 metric tons of rice to flood-ravaged North Korea, which had previously been hit by a severe drought, according to The Guardian.

The Baoyuan River in China’s Hunan province has recovered from last week’s benzene spill, prompting government officials to order precautionary measures against future contamination, such as land barriers, rain shields and safety checks, Xinhua reported.

IBM has opened its first research lab in Africa. The company says one of the major goals of the Nairobi-nased lab is to work with the Kenyan government to develop local solutions to water shortages, according to Bloomberg.

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