‘The green land is a barren desert’: water scarcity hits Iraq’s Fertile Crescent
The Guardian, 07 Sep 2022
An inefficient 8,000 year old irrigation system combined with mismanagement has worsened the effects of drought – and cattle and crops are dying
The Middle East is warming up twice as fast as the rest of the world
The Washington Post, 07 Sep 2022
Temperatures in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean are rising almost twice as fast as the rest of the world, according to a new study, with far-reaching consequences for the health and well-being of the roughly 400 million people who live in the region.
Pakistan Floods Dire for Millions of Children
Human Rights Watch, 07 Sep 2022
Disastrous floods now cover nearly one-third of Pakistan, causing billions of dollars in damages to crops, houses, and other buildings, and severely impacting the lives of 33 million people, many of whom have been displaced from their homes. The consequences have been especially horrific for children, who make up about half the affected population.
Environment Agency told to protect wetlands in landmark court case
The Guardian, 07 Sep 2022
The high court has ordered the Environment Agency to reduce water abstraction and protect England’s rare wetland habitats, in a landmark case that confirms that European nature conservation laws remain enforceable despite Britain having left the EU.
Air Pollution Kills Millions Every Year: Action Needed
Human Rights Watch, 07 Sep 2022
Tarik, age 42, lives in a village adjacent to a decades-old coal power plant in Bosnia and Herzegovina. On the day we visited, Bosnian cities were some of the most polluted places on Earth. Describing the devastating health toll the air pollution took each year on the village’s older residents he voiced his fear for his aging parents, who had lived there for over 40 years: “The older people in this village are desperate. They put up with this air for months. They don’t get out, they don’t socialize, they can’t get groceries or medication. It’s a terrible existence.”
‘There is nothing for us’: Pakistan’s flood homeless start to despair
The Guardian, 07 Sep 2022
Hundreds of thousands of homes are under water in Sindh province. Locals have no food and say the state has abandoned them.
Democrats push White House to strengthen environmental justice efforts
The Washington Post, 06 Sep 2022
Top congressional Democrats are calling on the Biden administration to bolster its commitment to environmental justice and ensure that the Inflation Reduction Act‘s climate investments help disadvantaged communities, according to details shared exclusively with The Climate 202.
Mississippi Water Crisis a Failure Decades in the Making
Human Rights Watch, 02 Sep 2022
The United States state of Mississippi’s capital city, Jackson, is facing an unprecedented water crisis after its main water facility failed following recent flooding. While the city has cited some progress, approximately 200,000 people may be without safe, running water indefinitely. Schools have moved to virtual learning, restaurants have closed, and stores are running out of water.
