2011

Asia, Africa megacities top climate change risk survey

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David Fogarty
eople wade through knee-deep water on the outskirts of Dhaka, Aug. 10, 2011. REU
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* World's fastest growing populations increasingly at risk

* Africa and Asia most vulnerable to more extreme weather

* Survey can help city planners, investors adapt to wilder weather

SINGAPORE, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Rapidly growing megacities in Africa and Asia face the highest risks from rising sea levels, floods and other climate change impacts, says a global survey aimed at guiding city planners and investors.

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World population to hit 10 bln, but 15 bln possible: UN

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AFP
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LONDON — The world's population of seven billion is set to rise to at least 10 billion by 2100, but could top 15 billion if birth rates are just slightly higher than expected, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

In a report ahead of ceremonies on October 31 to mark the seven billionth human alive today, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) warned demographic pressure posed mighty challenges for easing poverty and conserving the environment.

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A global push to 7 billion people

 India, which is on track to become the world’s most populous country by 2025, h
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The world is becoming a hungrier place - consuming more food, fuel and material resources - as its population bulges. But the increase in consumption is not even and not driven by the same factors. China and India are consuming more because their populations have vastly increased in the past 40 years. The United States, Japan and many countries in Europe are having much less population growth, but the people are using more resources. Meanwhile, many in South American and African countries have had relatively small population growth and much less increase in consumption.

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New Research Casts Doubt on Doomsday Water Shortage Predictions

Author: 

Lisa Friedman and ClimateWire
MELTDOWN: The melting of mountain glaciers around the world may not contribute a
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From the Andes to the Himalayas, scientists are starting to question exactly how much glaciers contribute to river water used downstream for drinking and irrigation. The answers could turn the conventional wisdom about glacier melt on its head.

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Warming Could Exceed Safe Levels In This Lifetime

Author: 

Nina Chestney
A general view shows the Iztaccihuatl volcano in the city of Puebla, 100 km (62
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Global temperature rise could exceed "safe" levels of two degrees Celsius in some parts of the world in many of our lifetimes if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, two research papers published in the journal Nature warned.

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Climate change could trap hundreds of millions in disaster areas, report claims

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Fiona Harvey
Climate change could cause extreme weather leaving millions of people trapped, a
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Report says refugees forced to leave homes by weather caused by global warming may end up in even worse afflicted areas

Hundreds of millions of people may be trapped in inhospitable environments as they attempt to flee from the effects of global warming, worsening the likely death toll from severe changes to the climate, a UK government committee has found.

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Scarce resources, climate biggest threats to world health

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reuters // Reuters
Zahida, a nine-year-old girl displaced by floods stands amidst a wall with rainw
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LONDON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - The Earth's natural resources like food, water and forests are being depleted at an alarming speed, causing hunger, conflict, social unrest and species extinction, experts at a climate and health conference in London warned on Monday.

Increased hunger due to food yield changes will lead to malnutrition; water scarcity will deteriorate hygiene; pollution will weaken immune systems; and displacement and social disorder due to conflicts over water and land will increase the spread of infectious diseases, they said.

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BANGLADESH: Selling the toilet idea

Abdul Malik, a 35-year-old rickshaw puller from Dhaka, shares a communal toilet
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BANGKOK, 14 October 2011 (IRIN) - By some measures, Bangladesh is modernizing rapidly - one in two residents now owns a cell phone. However, when it comes to basic sanitation, progress is clogged.

While some point to obstacles of funding and a lack of political leadership, others say toilets, despite their long-established health benefits, have an image problem.

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The world can feed itself without ruining the planet, study says

Author: 

Darci Palmquist
The world can feed itself without ruining the planet, study says
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Author Jon Foley says feeding a growing world presents a huge challenge. But employing many strategies simultaneously can meet the problem.

Recent global population growth estimates (10 billion by 2100, anyone?) plus slowing annual increases in agricultural yields have a lot of analysts worried that many of those new people will suffer from chronic hunger – and that much of the land that hasn’t been converted to agriculture will be plowed under to grow crops.

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We must make up ground in the fight against desertification

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A global partnership is needed to tackle the desertification that degrades more than 12m hectares of arable land every year, affecting some of the poorest and most food-insecure people

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