insert_link Africa El Niño drought leaves Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba only 13% full: a disaster for people and wildlife By Joshua Matanzima, The University of Queensland Water levels at Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe have dropped dramatically because of the latest El Niño drought. The country’s president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has declared a national disaster. Historian and social scientist Joshua Matanzima grew up at Lake Kariba and has spent the past 10 years researching socioeconomic life there. He discusses the impact of the latest drought on the people of […] todayApril 15, 2024 33
insert_link Environment El Niño disasters: governments know what’s coming, but are unprepared – what must change By Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Drought disasters in southern Africa are mainly attributed to a lack of preparedness, inadequate response and mitigation and poor risk reduction measures. With little to no preparation for drought disasters, such as the failure of the staple maize crop, the only option after the disaster hits is delayed relief action. Because of climate change, the El Niño-induced impacts […] todayApril 2, 2024 22
insert_link Africa El Niño threatens Zimbabwe’s corn production Zimbabwe has warned that farmland planted with corn has shrunk by 12% because of scorching El Niño weather patterns, threatening the nation’s food staple and potentially triggering surging prices and social unrest. We contacted Eddie Cross an economist from Zimbabwe for his comment. todayMarch 14, 2024 47
insert_link Business / Economics Price of chocolate expected to increase due to El Nino U.S. chocolate makers are warning that record-high cocoa prices will push up the price of their products. It comes as the El Nino weather patterns are impacting cocoa yields in West Africa. Caroline Malone reports. todayFebruary 12, 2024 24
insert_link Environment Ocean heating breaks record, again, with disastrous outcomes for the planet By Elizabeth Claire Alberts via Mongabay New research shows that ocean temperatures are hotter than ever in the modern era due to human-driven global warming. High ocean temperatures are placing a strain on marine life and biological processes while also increasing extreme weather events on land. The world is also seeing an escalation in the frequency and intensity of marine heat waves, events in which sea temperatures exceed a certain […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 13
insert_link Africa El Niño: Malawi’s harvest of maize – its staple food – may fall by 22.5% this year By Joachim De Weerdt, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ; Channing Arndt, CGIAR System Organization; James Thurlow, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ; Jan Duchoslav, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ; Joseph Glauber, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ; Liangzhi You, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) , and Weston Anderson, University of Maryland Maize is the preferred staple of most of southern Africa. […] todayJanuary 30, 2024 42
insert_link Environment Climate change made 2023 Amazon drought 30 times more likely, scientists say The river that supplies water to the Kokama Indigenous People of the Porto Praia community was mostly dry in October of 2023. Image © Marizilda Cruppe / Greenpeace. By Carla Ruas via Mongabay Global warming was the main driver of the severe drought that parched the Amazon River Basin in 2023. That is the alarming conclusion of a new report from World Weather Attribution (WWA), a team of international climate scientists […] todayJanuary 29, 2024 14
insert_link World Global temperatures to reach 1.7°C increase by May Global heating caused by the burning of fossil fuels, and the El Niño climatic event, will push global temperatures to about 1.7 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by May. According to the Guardian, the warning comes from former National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientist James Hansen. Hansen says there needs to be purposeful actions to affect the planet’s energy balance. todayJanuary 10, 2024 22