The Stream, May 7: Drought Crisis in Africa’s Sahel

Greenland’s glaciers are not speeding up as much as previously thought and may be contributing “significantly less” to sea-level rise, according to new research published in the journal Science, the BBC reported.

Europe
Temperatures in Europe are set to rise between 0.4 degrees and 2.5 degrees Celsius in 2021-2050 compared to the 1960-1990 period, with eastern Scandinavia and southern and southeastern Europe expected to see the biggest increase, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA). Look at the EEA maps showing projected changes in temperature and precipitation for this century.

Farmers and environmental groups in Germany are up in arms over plans to deepen the Elbe River, Deutsche Welle reported. Farmers fear their land, some of central Europe’s most productive, will become saline if the river gets dredged to keep up with the ever-increasing size of oceangoing container vessels.

Africa & Asia
Aid agencies warn they are facing a major funding shortage to deal with a food crisis in Africa’s Sahel region, where up to 6 million people need emergency assistance, the Guardian reported. Oxfam has documented Mauritania’s drought crisis in photos.

The water crisis in Asia is like a slow-moving train that is going to crash, Paul Reiter, executive director of the International Water Association, told The Korea Herald.

Sustainability
A major international poll reveals that many sustainability experts fear the Rio+20 Summit will be a wasted opportunity.

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.