The Stream, August 22: Droughts Hit Europe

Polluted drinking water may have sickened more than 1,000 people in an Egyptian town, though official government estimates say only 56 people were affected, the Egypt Independent reported. The incident sparked protests.

The United Nations Green Climate Fund Board will meet August 23 for the first time to lay the groundwork for how the $US 100 billion fund will be distributed, AlertNet reported. The fund is meant to help the world’s poorest countries combat the effects of climate change.

Droughts
Droughts in southern and eastern Europe have hit farmers hard, Reuters reported. Agricultural losses are expected to reach $US 1 billion in Bosnia, $US 2 billion in Serbia and $US 250 million in Croatia, while analysts have cut forecasts for the Russian grain harvest.

Meanwhile, the drought in the United States is expected to continue despite improving weather conditions in the Midwest, Reuters reported.

The U.S. drought is having significant impacts on the shipping industry, with an 11-mile stretch of the Mississippi River closed to boat and barge traffic Monday due to low water levels, according to the Associated Press.

Asia
Bangladesh is experimenting with a new crop insurance system that links premiums to a weather index in order to make farmers more resilient to shifting climate patterns, AlertNet reported.

This Yale Environment 360 report details the scientific quest to understand how warming temperatures are affecting Asia’s monsoons.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek