CIHEAM Press Review

Over the thousands of years humans have spent farming the Fertile Crescent, it has never ceased to be a hotbed of innovation.
Today, Iraqis are experimenting with a type of agriculture that may reshape the region: growing plants without soil.
As global warming and environmental degradation cause irreversible changes to the composition of Iraq’s farmland, the soil-free, water-saving science known as hydroponics offers the country of 40 million — home to two of the world’s most famous rivers — a chance to adapt to this new reality.

Local authorities say it is a more economical and environmentally sustainable solution than shipping in water.
Spain’s drought-stricken region of Catalonia will install a floating desalination plant to help the city of Barcelona guarantee its drinking water supply, regional authorities said Thursday.
Barcelona already relies on Europe’s largest desalination plant for domestic use to compensate over three years of below average rainfall that have led to a historic drought made worse by climate change. In February, Catalonia's regional government declared a drought emergency for much of the surrounding region. 

Zaragoza, 22 March 2024.- CIHEAM Zaragoza has invited a panel of experts to participate in the webinar to celebrate the World Water Day (22 March). Consensus among the participants is clear: investing in human capital and developing water management skills are crucial strategies to combat water scarcity in Mediterranean regions, which are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Despite recent rains topping up reservoirs, an unusually warm winter has made water shortages worse and drought is a consequence of a bigger problem.
January, February and March are likely to have been Spain’s warmest first quarter since records began in 1961.
National meteorological agency Aemet said on Tuesday that the average temperature in mainland Spain during the first three months of the year was 9.5C. That is 1.9C higher than the average for this time of year and 0.1C higher than the previous record set in 1997.

Wildfires are a major threat to the environment and to people. They are unpredictable and difficult to control, but with measures, prevention and quick response, the consequences of this natural disaster can be reduced. As a trainee at the European Forestry Institute, I was involved in developing and writing a new publication Wildfire risk planning […]

High temperatures and low rainfall have left parts of the Mediterranean in a critical condition.
Earlier this month, Catalonia declared a drought emergency. With levels in reservoirs as low as 16 per cent of capacity and no rain in some areas for three years, authorities brought in restrictions on how much water residents can use.
But Spain isn’t the only country suffering as southern Europe’s water supplies run low.
Around 17 per cent of EU territory is now facing serious drought conditions, according to the European Drought Observatory’s latest update.

Algeria is set to become the world’s fifth largest buyer of soft wheat in 2024, as imports are projected to increase 11% compared to 2023, reaching 7.2 million tons. The need to resort to more imports is primarily due to water scarcity which has particularly impacted Algeria’s cereal production following a prolonged period of drought. Under its 2020-2024 Agriculture Roadmap, Algeria had set itself the goal of cutting as much as $2.5 billion from total annual food imports of around $10 billion in recent years. These plans, however, are being challenged by volatile rainfall patterns. To reduce the impact of drought on its food production systems, Algeria will need to focus on mechanization and economies of scale to increase annual agricultural yields. 

The United Nations has described desertification as “the greatest environmental challenge of our time”, and climate change only worsens it.
Contrary to what is widely thought, desertification is not necessarily the natural expansion of existing deserts. It is ultimately a human-induced process exacerbated by extreme weather conditions like droughts and heavy rains associated with climate change.

Is the Euphrates River drying up? Learn the history and significance of this cradle of civilization, why it is in decline, and the wildlife affected by it.

Environmental groups have said this unusual solution doesn't solve long-term water management problems.
Catalonia is experiencing one of the worst droughts in living memory. At no point in the last century have water shortages been so severe.
The reservoirs that supply most of the region, including Barcelona,  are at an all-time low - less than 16 per cent of capacity. 

Abu Dhabi has completed a pioneering study of the UAE's national tree to help get to the root of its ability to thrive in arid conditions – and boost efforts to protect nature from the effects of climate change.
The Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi joined forces with healthtech company M42 to carry out a groundbreaking genome sequencing of the ghaf to better understand the genetic traits that make it so resilient.
Declared the UAE's national tree in 2008, the ghaf plays a key role in stabilising desert soil, while also providing sanctuary for wildlife.

Six consecutive years of drought have left Moroccan reservoirs at critical levels, prompting a big drop in the area of land being irrigated, the country’s water and agriculture ministers have revealed. According to Reuters, by mid-January, Morocco’s average reservoir filling rate had dropped to 23.2 per cent from 31.5 per cent a year earlier, water minister Nizar Baraka told a meeting on Tuesday.

Tunisia's wetlands are at risk of completely drying up as the country faces its sixth consecutive year of drought, with rising temperatures, longer summers and less rain.
The impact of climate change has increased pressure on the country's already depleted groundwater sources, but its wetlands are also under threat from increasing chaotic urbanisation, polluting industrial projects and the state's unclear environmental vision.

In Europe, southern countries like Spain and Italy will bear the brunt of declining incomes, while Arctic-adjacent nations could benefit.
The climate crisis will reduce global income by about a fifth in the next 25 years compared to a fictional world that's not warming.
That’s according to a new study which predicts people in the world’s poorest areas and those least responsible for heating the atmosphere will take the biggest monetary hit.

The amount of water stored in the Barlavento river basin rose to 20.8% on March 31, double that registered in February, but remained the one with the least water in Portugal.
According to data from the National Water Resources Information System (SNIRH), in March, there was an increase in the volume stored in nine river basins and a decrease in three.

The expert drew attention to the importance of leaving clean water resources to future generations and stressed that the basis of ensuring water sustainability is not only saving but also not polluting water resources.
Professor Belgin Elipek, from Trakya University's Department of Biology, highlighted the challenges of accessing healthy freshwater due to global climate change, extreme temperatures, drought and water pollution.

Severe lack of rain and poor maintenance of irrigation facilities have led to water rationing affecting more than 800,000 citizens.
Sicily has declared a state of emergency as the region experiences its worst drought in almost 20 years. 
A lack of winter rainfall after last year's hot summer has left supplies running low. Experts say it could be the third worst water crisis ever recorded on the island. Reservoirs are drying up, water is being rationed and farmers are reporting failed crops. 

With another bil­lion peo­ple expected to live on the planet in the next three decades, Primo Proietti believes the most sig­nif­i­cant chal­lenge for the future will be to grow enough food.

As the ramifications of the global water crisis grow in scope and severity, understanding the manifold and devastating consequences of water insecurity—in all its forms—is increasingly critical to safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of billions around the world.

Malta is on course to witness its driest year ever, and the island is seeing so little rain it might qualify as a desert, according to marine biologist Alan Deidun. 
“One of the definitions of a desert is an area which receives less than 250 mm of rain a year, and Malta has received much less so far,” the University of Malta professor said.
The Met Office said that, since the start of the rainfall year, which begins on September 1, 173.2mm of rain has been recorded in Malta. 

Payments made under the Financial Support for drought amount to approximately 28.9 million euros on the continent, with the autonomous regions of Madeira and Azores having also received this support, the Ministry of Agriculture announced today.

The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification has finished planting 150,000 trees in Saiysad National Park, Taif, as part of a national program to plant 10 billion trees, one of the Saudi Green Initiative’s targets. The trees were jujube, acacia, seyal, acacia asak, and Vachellia flava. Also planted were plants such as dodonaea and henna. The project covered eight different locations within the 28 million square meter park, one of the largest land parks in the Makkah region and one of the oldest in the Kingdom.

The Portuguese Environment Agency hopes to present a contingency plan this month with new water consumption rules for the Algarve, which is experiencing the worst drought on record.