#Rainfall Deficit 2024

[townpostin]

Jharkhand Faces Weak Monsoon, Raising Agricultural Concerns

Rainfall 49% Below Normal As Dry Spell Expected To Continue Until July 13 Weather patterns threaten crop health and water availability across 24 districts. RANCHI – Jharkhand is experiencing a significantly weakened monsoon, leading to increased heat and humidity across the state. The Meteorological Department forecasts no substantial rainfall until July 13, exacerbating agricultural…

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

'The Amazon rainforest entered the dry season already with a water deficit due to the 2023 drought,' says expert

The extreme drought stems from the 2023 El Niño and the loss of Amazon rainforest areas

“The drought is killing the coffee plantations,” laments family farmer Gersi de Souza, a resident of Acrelândia in Acre state, one of the 3,978 Brazilian municipalities affected by the current drought. “Last year, we were already in a tough situation. And the situation has become more complicated this year,” he says. This is the worst drought in 70 years in Brazil, according to data from the National Center for Monitoring and Alerts of Natural Disasters (CEMADEN, in English) of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. 

Researchers interviewed by Brasil de Fato believe that the phenomenon results from the influence of El Niño, which affected Brazil in 2023, and growing deforestation in the Amazon, which intensified during the Bolsonaro administration. “From 2019 to 2022, we lost 50,000 km² of primary forest, apart from secondary forest,” explains Luciana Gatti, coordinator of the greenhouse gas laboratory at the National Institute for Space Research (INPE, in Portuguese). Primary forests are the native forests of a biome, while secondary forests are those that have grown in a previously deforested area. “We haven’t recovered the 50,000 square kilometers of forest lost, and we haven’t zeroed out deforestation either,” she warns. 

El Niño, characterized by the warming of the waters of the Pacific Ocean, has reduced rainfall in the Amazon rainforest, bringing a dry summer to the region in 2023. “We saw fish deaths, dolphins, riverine populations, and Indigenous peoples isolated and having difficulty accessing high-quality water and transportation,” says Helga Correa, a conservation specialist at the NGO WWF Brasil. In 2024, the drought in the Amazon came earlier than expected, without the biome recovering from the previous drought. “We didn’t have enough rain in the wet season, and we entered the dry season with a water deficit,” she explains. 

Continue reading.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Smoke Fills South American Skies

Intense fires burning in several South American countries draped large swaths of smoke across the continent throughout August and early September 2024. In Brazil and Bolivia, fire activity reached levels not seen since 2010 as a prolonged drought parched landscapes in both countries.

From about 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) away from Earth, NASA’s EPIC (Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera) imager on the DSCOVR (Deep Space Climate Observatory) satellite captured this view of smoke billowing from the blazes on September 3, 2024.

Smoke from fires in Brazil swept over the country’s capital city in mid-August and early September. For several days, São Paolo’s air was clouded with smog, and air quality was unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to AirNow. The smoke grounded flights and forced schools to close in the most populous city in Brazil, according to The Guardian.

The fire season in the southern Amazon, which generally ramps up in August and peaks in September and October, has been intense this year. According to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), a component of the European Union’s space program, emissions from fires have been exceptionally high in Bolivia and the Brazilian states of Amazonas and Mato Grosso do Sul.

CAMS estimates near-real-time wildfire emissions using its Global Fire Assimilation System (GFAS), which aggregates observations made by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) sensors on NASA’s Aqua and Terra satellites. Compared to the previous 21 years, these areas have registered their highest year-to-date total emissions, at 44, 22, and 13 million metric tons of carbon, respectively.

The Pantanal region—which straddles the Brazil-Bolivia border and is home to one of the world’s largest tropical wetlands—has been especially hard hit in 2024. Early and intense blazes spread over the wetlands in late May and continued into August. According to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE), there were a record number of fire detections in the biome in June 2024, and fires have continued to burn at high levels since.

The false-color image above, acquired by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8, shows fires near Ascensión de Guarayos, in the Bolivian state of Santa Cruz. The false-color image emphasizes the burn areas (brown) from several fires on September 3, 2024. Unburned vegetation is green. Near- and short-wave infrared bands help penetrate some of the smoke to reveal hot areas associated with active fires, which appear orange.

Through September 6, blazes tore through more than 10 million hectares of Bolivia, or roughly 9 percent of the country’s total area. Out of the 42 million metric tons of carbon emitted in Bolivia between May and August, 33 million metric tons came from fires in the state of Santa Cruz, according to Mark Parrington, CAMS senior scientist with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).

Large parts of South America have seen significant rainfall deficits over the past three months. According to ECMWF, this has led to “exceptional drought” (the highest drought ranking) over much of the central and northern parts of the continent. Brazil’s Natural Disaster Monitoring and Alerts Center noted on September 5 that shifted rainfall patterns from El Niño, increased temperatures from climate change, and reduced humidity from deforestation have all contributed to the drought.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using data from DSCOVR EPIC and Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Emily Cassidy.

[smute]

Global temperatures soared to a new record in September by a huge margin, stunning scientists and leading one to describe it as “absolutely gobsmackingly bananas”.

The hottest September on record follows the hottest August and hottest July, with the latter being the hottest month ever recorded. The high temperatures have driven heatwaves and wildfires across the world.

September 2023 beat the previous record for that month by 0.5C, the largest jump in temperature ever seen. September was about 1.8C warmer than pre-industrial levels. Datasets from European and Japanese scientists confirm the leap.

The heat is the result of the continuing high levels of carbon dioxide emissions combined with a rapid flip of the planet’s biggest natural climate phenomenon, El Niño. The previous three years saw La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean, which lowers global temperature by a few tenths of a degree as more heat is stored in the ocean.

Conditions have now rebounded to an El Niño event, which releases ocean heat and drives up temperatures. It’s all but certain that 2023 will be the hottest on record and 2024 may even exceed that, as the heating impact of El Niño is felt most in the year after it begins.

“September was, in my professional opinion as a climate scientist, absolutely gobsmackingly bananas,” said Zeke Hausfather, at the Berkeley Earth climate data project.

Mika Rantanen, climate researcher at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, said: “I’m still struggling to comprehend how a single year can jump so much compared to previous years.” Prof Ed Hawkins, at the University of Reading, UK, said the heat seen this summer was “extraordinary”.

Samantha Burgess, at the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, said: “The unprecedented temperatures for the time of year observed in September have broken records by an extraordinary amount. 2023 [is] on track to be the warmest year and about 1.4C above pre-industrial average temperatures. Two months out from [the UN climate conference] Cop28, the sense of urgency for ambitious climate action has never been more critical.”

The heat hit record levels within many countries too, including France, Germany, and Poland. The UK saw its joint hottest September on record, the Met Office reported, in data that goes back to 1884.

In Australia, climate scientist and author Joelle Gergis said: “Observations of Australia’s climate in September are shocking. Figures show where maximum temperatures were the highest on record, with many areas 3C to 5C above average. Rainfall deficits are primed for drought. Summer is going to be brutal.”

While human-caused global heating and El Niño are the biggest factors causing the record-breaking temperatures, other factors may be contributing small increases as well, Hausfather said. These include an uptick in the 11-year solar cycle, cuts in sun-blocking sulphur emissions from shipping and industry and a volcanic eruption in Tonga that released a large amount of water vapour, which traps heat.

In August, the Guardian asked 45 leading climate scientists from around the world about the record-breaking temperatures. They said that, despite it certainly feeling as if events had taken an alarming turn, the broad global heating trend seen to date was entirely in line with three decades of scientific predictions.

Increasingly severe weather impacts had also been long signposted by scientists, although the speed and intensity of the reality and the unexpected vulnerability of many populations scared some. The off-the-charts sea temperatures and Antarctic sea ice loss were seen as the most shocking events.

The scientists said that the exceptional events of 2023 could be a normal year in just a decade, unless there is a dramatic increase in climate action. The researchers overwhelmingly pointed to one action as critical: slashing the burning of fossil fuels down to zero.

Source

[truth-bound]

I would like to reblog this again and add a bit of a caveat that many many servers that aren't AI use the evaporative cooling method over air cooling. A large data center can use between 1 mil to 5 mil gallons of water in a day. This problem isn't unique to AI at all, though it can be exasperated.

A major issue is that companies that want to cut on costs have their servers in places where there is cheaper low carbon sources of power but inversely much less water. So in Arizona it is a huge issue that any data center can use up 10-50 million people's worth of water when they already are in a drought BUT there are plentiful solar farms for renewable power and wind farms as a back up. It would make sense as a company to choose to be somewhere with low cost renewable energy if one of your core values is minimizing environmental impact. Anyone could feel good using the more close to carbon neutral options for power and forget what else your build needs to function. Namely water.

For me in the American South East it would not be hard to use water and still be relatively low impact. It rains so so much here, the air is constantly humid, there are so many lakes and rivers just around. This is fine for a good majority of the internet that is in Virginia which has high rainfall but Northern California also hosts a good bit of the internet and that's a lot more unideal. California is known for being dry, and using up so much water in an area like that is scary. The industry uses a lot of water. It's a part of the deal, dealing with stuff that hot.

However, even though a big chunk of the internet is parsed through these servers it isn't as solely computational as generative AI is like ChatGPT.

Ya wanna know where ChatGPT is for example? Des Moines Register claims it is in Des Moines Iowa. Lets take a look at what that means. The servers, which are typical Microsoft style setups, use primarily evaporative cooling in the summer months. The servers opened some time around 2022. Iowa historically goes through extreme droughts however, according to KCCI Des Moines News, as of May 9th 2024 Iowa is no longer in an "extreme drought" since 2022. This sounds good but it goes on to state that there is still significant long term precipitation and groundwater deficits in Iowa, with 44% of the state in moderate to severe drought.

In a quote from Iowa Starting Line, the state climatologist Justin Glisan comments on how odd the drought is and says "It hasn't been coupled with intense heat for long periods of time. Now, of course, we've had heat waves through the last three and a half years, but we haven't seen extremely warm temperatures in spring and summer as we have in 1988 and 2012." This was October of 2023.

If the OpenAI and Microsoft servers were first built and operating in or around 2022 in West Des Moines then an easy correlation could be drawn that OpenAI's servers are directly causing a drought in Iowa. However, I noticed something else. The same article that says its an odd drought also says that there were no serious crop failures or widespread water restrictions. Then I went to look at the map of the drought in Iowa.

Interesting! Now if I had to guess I'd think that Des Moines would be in or close to the red zone.

Lets see...

Huh! It is in moderate to severe drought, but not the Extreme drought area. Its almost two full counties away. Its even closer to an "abnormally dry" area than the extreme area.

I am going to investigate this later, as my lunch break has just ended and I need to get back to work. I want to say that I have yet to come to a conclusion on this but it is fascinating to me.

Y'all I know that when so-called AI generates ridiculous results it's hilarious and I find it as funny as the next guy but I NEED y'all to remember that every single time an AI answer is generated it uses 5x as much energy as a conventional websearch and burns through 10 ml of water. FOR EVERY ANSWER. Each big llm is equal to 300,000 kiligrams of carbon dioxide emissions.

LLMs are killing the environment, and when we generate answers for the lolz we're still contributing to it.

Stop using it. Stop using it for a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g. We need to kill it.

Sources:

[palmoilnews]

Crop recovery from El Niño effects raise 2024/25 Indonesia palm oil production outlook 2023/24 INDONESIA PALM OIL PRODUCTION: 50.0 [45.0–55.0] MILLION TONS, UP 2.5% FROM LAST UPDATE Crop recovery from El Niño effects place 2024/25 (Oct/Sep) Indonesia palm oil production at 50 million metric tonnes (mt), up 2.5% from the last season. The 2023 El Niño event significantly disrupted production, with its effects felt after an approximately 9-month lag in yield responses to drought conditions. Indonesia's cumulative palm oil output for the first eight months of 2024 was 31.5 million mt, reflecting a decline of 4.8% compared to the same period in 2023. The Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) anticipates a 5% reduction in overall production for the year relative to 2023. Despite the setbacks, the 2024/25 season is expected to witness a recovery in palm oil yields. The potential for improved yields is bolstered by substantial accumulated rainfall observed year-to-date. Although a dry spell was noted in July, it is not anticipated to significantly hinder the hopeful recovery trajectory. In October, the Indonesian palm oil belt exhibited a mixed rainfall distribution, with Jambi, Sumatera Barat and the Kalimantan region recording substantial rainfall totals (10-100 mm above normal), while other regions experienced deficits ranging from 20-80 mm below normal, with the driest areas concentrated in the southern part of Sumatra. Looking ahead, the short-term weather forecast suggests mixed weather over the next 10 days. The northern half of Sumatra will likely experience wet weather, while the remaining areas will remain drier than normal. Beyond that, the extended forecast shows the palm oil belts could be wet throughout November. According to LSEG Weather Research, ENSO could trend closer to a neutral-negative state from December-February. The sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly for the Niño 3.4 region was recorded at -0.29 °C in September, down from -0.07 °C in August. Current analyses indicate weakening SST anomalies are likely in the months ahead, with conditions presently favouring La Niña, although this situation is subject to change. Anticipated precipitation patterns for Indonesia and Malaysia during December-February suggest near/above normal levels, which would benefit palm development.

[mordorintelligencemarketresearch]

The Growth of Africa’s Agricultural Machinery Industry: Driving Agricultural Productivity 

Africa's agricultural machinery market is poised for significant growth, with its market size estimated at USD 2.27 billion in 2024 and expected to reach USD 3.09 billion by 2029, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.40% during the forecast period (2024-2029). This surge is driven by the growing need to modernize farming practices and enhance agricultural productivity across the continent. Agriculture remains the backbone of many African economies, contributing significantly to employment and GDP, and the demand for advanced machinery is increasing as farmers seek more efficient ways to cultivate crops and manage resources. 

Market Overview 

The agricultural machinery market in Africa is evolving rapidly, underpinned by a combination of factors like increasing mechanization, government support, and the rising adoption of modern technologies. Traditionally, agriculture in Africa has relied heavily on manual labor, but with increasing pressure to meet the food demands of a growing population, the need for mechanized solutions has become critical. 

Farmers are now seeking to adopt machinery such as tractors, combine harvesters, planters, and irrigation equipment. These machines not only reduce labor intensity but also significantly improve yields by ensuring timely planting, efficient harvesting, and better resource management. The market is also witnessing increased interest in precision agriculture technologies that integrate machinery with data analytics, drones, and GPS systems to optimize field operations. 

Key Drivers of Market Growth 

Government Initiatives: Several African governments have launched initiatives aimed at boosting agricultural productivity through mechanization. Subsidies, low-interest loans, and tax incentives for machinery imports are becoming common, providing farmers with the financial means to invest in modern equipment. 

Rising Population and Food Demand: The continent’s population is expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, leading to a substantial rise in food demand. This growth is putting pressure on African farmers to produce more food efficiently, driving the demand for agricultural machinery that can facilitate large-scale, high-yield farming practices. 

Technological Advancements: The introduction of innovative technologies, such as smart tractors, precision farming tools, and automated equipment, is helping farmers increase productivity. These technologies not only reduce operational costs but also enhance sustainability by minimizing wastage and optimizing resource use. 

Access to Finance: Improved access to finance through government programs and private sector partnerships is making it easier for small and medium-sized farmers to afford agricultural machinery. Microfinance institutions and agricultural banks are also offering specialized loans aimed at promoting mechanization. 

Challenges Facing the Market 

Despite the positive growth prospects, the African agricultural machinery market faces several challenges: 

High Initial Costs: The cost of purchasing agricultural machinery remains a significant barrier for many smallholder farmers. While government subsidies and financing options exist, they are not always accessible to everyone. 

Infrastructure Deficits: Poor infrastructure, including roads and electricity in rural areas, hampers the efficient use and maintenance of machinery. This makes it difficult for farmers to fully leverage mechanized equipment, particularly in remote regions. 

Limited Technical Know-How: The lack of technical skills required to operate and maintain agricultural machinery is another challenge. Many farmers are unfamiliar with advanced equipment, and access to training and support services is often limited. 

Climate Variability: Africa’s agriculture is highly dependent on rainfall, and the increasing unpredictability of weather patterns due to climate change poses a risk to agricultural investments, including machinery. Irrigation equipment and climate-resilient technologies will play a crucial role in mitigating these risks. 

Future Outlook 

The Africa agricultural machinery market is poised for significant growth in the coming years. With more governments focusing on agricultural mechanization as a strategy for food security and rural development, and the increasing penetration of global machinery brands into African markets, the industry is set to expand. Innovations in equipment tailored to the specific needs of African soils and climates are also expected to drive adoption. 

Moreover, as Africa continues to urbanize and industrialize, the trend towards commercial farming will intensify, further fueling the demand for advanced agricultural machinery. The growing focus on sustainability will also lead to increased demand for equipment that promotes eco-friendly farming practices, such as machines designed to optimize water use and reduce soil degradation. 

Conclusion 

The agricultural machinery market in Africa holds immense potential as the continent strives to modernize its farming practices. As mechanization continues to be a key driver of agricultural productivity, the market is set to play a critical role in Africa’s journey towards food security, economic development, and rural transformation. The future of agriculture in Africa is mechanized, and as the industry evolves, it will be instrumental in shaping the continent’s agricultural landscape. 

For a detailed overview and more insights, you can refer to the full market research report by Mordor Intelligence https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/africa-agricultural-machinery-market   

[brainmassfinance]

Crude Oil Prices See Support from Positive US GDP Report

September arabica coffee (KCU24) is up +2.05 (+0.89%), and Sep ICE robusta coffee (RMU24) is up +43 (+0.99%).

Coffee prices today are rebounding higher on some short-covering after the sharp sell-off seen in the past 2 weeks to new 2-week lows early today.  Coffee prices are seeing support today from the slightly weaker dollar and the lack of rain last week in Brazil.

The lack of rain last week in Brazil is supportive for arabica coffee prices.  Somar Meteorologia reported Monday that Brazil's Minas Gerais region received no rain last week, versus the historical average for the week of 2.6 mm.  Minas Gerais accounts for about 30% of Brazil's arabica crop.

Coffee harvest pressures in Brazil are bearish for coffee prices.  Safras & Mercado reported last Friday that Brazil's 2024/25 coffee harvest was 74% completed as of July 16, faster than 66% last year at the same time and faster than the 5-year average of 70%.  Brazil is the world's largest producer of arabica coffee beans.  However, Safras & Mercado cut its Brazil 2024/25 coffee output estimate to 66 million bags from a previous estimate of 70.4 million bags, citing above-average temperatures and drought that compromised coffee yields.

A rebound in ICE coffee inventories from historically low levels is negative for prices.  ICE-monitored robusta coffee inventories rose to a 1-year high Wednesday of 6,478 lots, up from the record low of 1,958 lots posted in February 2024.  Also, ICE-monitored arabica coffee inventories rose to a 1-1/2 year high on June 25 of 842,434 bags, up from the 24-year low of 224,066 bags posted in November 2023.  Arabica inventories on Tuesday were mildly below that 1-1/2 year high at 813,378 bags.

Robusta coffee prices are underpinned by fears that excessive dryness in Vietnam will damage coffee crops and curb future global robusta production.  Coffee trader Volcafe said on May 22 that Vietnam's 2024/25 robusta coffee crop may only be 24 million bags, the lowest in 13 years, as poor rainfall in Vietnam has caused "irreversible damage" to coffee blossoms.  Volcafe also projects a global robusta deficit of 4.6 million bags in 2024/25, a smaller deficit than the 9-million-bag deficit seen in 2023/24 but the fourth consecutive year of robusta bean deficits.

Vietnam's agriculture department said on March 26 that Vietnam's coffee production in the 2023/24 crop year would drop by -20% to 1.472 MMT, the smallest crop in four years, due to drought.  Also, the Vietnam Coffee Association said that Vietnam's 2023/24 coffee exports would drop -20% y/y to 1.336 MMT.   The USDA FAS on May 31 projected that Vietnam's robusta coffee production in the new marketing year of 2024/25 will dip slightly to 27.9 million bags from 28 million bags in the 2023/24 season.

Smaller coffee exports from Vietnam, the world's largest robusta coffee producer, are bullish for prices.  The General Department of Vietnam Customs reported July 9 that Vietnam's June coffee exports fell -11.5% m/m and -50.4% y/y to 70,202 MT, the smallest amount of coffee exports for the month of June in 13 years.  Also, Vietnam's Jan-June coffee exports were down -11.4% y/y at 893,820 MT.

The International Coffee Organization (ICO) reported on July 5 that global May coffee exports rose +9.8% y/y to 11.78 million bags, and Oct-May global coffee exports were up +10.9% y/y to 92.73 million bags.  Cecafe reported July 11 that Brazil's 2023/24 coffee exports rose +33% y/y to a record 47.3 million bags.

In a bearish factor, the International Coffee Organization (ICO) projected on May 3 that 2023/24 global coffee production would climb +5.8% y/y to 178 million bags due to an exceptional off-biennial crop year.  ICO also projects global 2023/24 coffee consumption will rise +2.2% y/y to 177 million bags, resulting in a 1 million bag coffee surplus.

The USDA's bi-annual report released on June 20 was bearish for coffee prices.  The USDA's Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) projected that world coffee production in 2024/25 will increase +4.2% y/y to 176.235 million bags, with a +4.4% increase in arabica production to 99.855 million bags and a +3.9% increase in robusta production to 76.38 million bags.  The USDA's FAS forecasts that 2024/25 ending stocks will climb by +7.7% to 25.78 million bags from 23.93 million bags in 2023/24.  The USDA's FAS projects that Brazil's 2024/25 arabica production would climb +7.3% y/y to 48.2 mln bags due to higher yields and increased planted acreage.  The USDA's FAS also forecasts that 2024/54 coffee production in Colombia, the world's second-largest arabica producer, will climb +1.6% y/y to 12.4 mln bags.

[naturecoaster]

Once-a-Week Watering Restrictions for Pasco County Extended

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board voted today to extend one-day-per-week watering restrictions for Pasco County until September 1, 2024. This also includes the existing water shortage order currently in effect for Citrus and Hernando counties. The District Governing Board declared a Modified Phase I Water Shortage Order in November 2023 and voted to extend that order in February. Despite having Districtwide above-average rainfall during the winter months (Nov.-Jan.), we still have a Districtwide 12-month rainfall deficit of about 7.4 inches (based on data through May). The 12-month rainfall total through May in the Northern Region of the District matches the historical average, while it is below average in the Southern and Central regions, which includes the Tampa Bay area. June rainfall through June 19 is near the historical average in the Southern Region of the District, while it is below average in the Northern and Central regions. Additionally, Tampa Bay Water’s 15.5-billion-gallon C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir is still approximately 12.5 billion gallons below its capacity. Modified Phase I Water Shortage Order does not change allowable watering schedules for most counties, but does prohibit “wasteful and unnecessary” water use. Twice-per-week lawn watering schedules remain in effect except where stricter measures have been imposed by local governments. Residents are asked to check their irrigation systems to ensure they work properly. This means testing and repairing broken pipes and leaks and fixing damaged or tilted sprinkler heads. Residents should also check their irrigation timer to ensure the settings are correct and the rain sensor is working properly. District Extends Watering Restrictions for Pasco County Citrus and Hernando counties and the city of Dunedin have local ordinances that remain on one-day-per-week schedules: - If your address (house number) ends in... - ...0 or 1, water only on Monday - ...2 or 3, water only on Tuesday - ...4 or 5, water only on Wednesday - ...6 or 7, water only on Thursday - ...8 or 9*, water only on Friday             * and locations without a discernible address - Unless your city or county already has stricter hours in effect, properties under two acres in size may only water before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. - Unless your city or county already has stricter hours in effect, properties two acres or larger may only water before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. - Low-volume watering of plants and shrubs (micro-irrigation, soaker hoses, hand watering) is allowed any day and any time. The order also requires local utilities to review and implement procedures for enforcing year-round water conservation measures and water shortage restrictions, including reporting enforcement activity to the District. For additional information about the Modified Phase I Water Shortage Order, visit the District’s website WaterMatters.org/Restrictions. For water-conserving tips, visit WaterMatters.org/Water101. Read the full article

[bharatiyamedia-blog]

Water disaster in India: Altering cropping patterns, recharging floor reserves crucial to avert catastrophe

http://tinyurl.com/yxumrlyk On Sunday, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned along with his month-to-month radio broadcast, “Mann ki Baat,” he urged residents to make use of water assets judiciously. He stated, “There could be nobody formulation to unravel the water disaster in the whole nation. For this, various efforts are being made in numerous elements of the nation. Nonetheless, all of them have a typical aim — to avoid wasting water.” This isn’t the primary time that the prime minister urged the nation to prioritise water conservation and make acceptable interventions on this regard. Not too long ago, when Modi was replying to the Movement of Thanks on the President’s tackle, he emphasised the necessity to take care of the water crises within the nation. He stated, “We’ve to avoid wasting water. The water disaster impacts the poor and girls probably the most. We’ve created a Ministry of Jal Shakti.” Noting that 80 % of rural persons are but to get piped water provide, Modi has already introduced a goal of making certain piped water for all rural houses within the countryside by 2024. Yogesh Paithankar, chief engineer on the Nationwide Water Academy, stated, “The federal government will quickly launch a nationwide ‘Jal Kranti Abhiyan’. Greater than 200 senior authorities officers have been recognized from throughout the nation to run the notice programme. There’s a must create consciousness in regards to the significance of saving each single drop of water. The main focus will likely be on groundwater recharge and storage.” A boy rides a bicycle behind a water tanker to chill himself at a street building website in Agra. File picture. Reuters The ‘Jal Kranti Abhiyan’ will begin from 1 July. Officers of the extent of director/deputy secretary have been appointed as block nodal officers, and “prabhari officers” will work with them. Additional, groundwater scientists and engineers may even be roped in. These groups will go to a number of blocks to implement water harvesting and conservation measures. NITI Aayog sounds warning bell The NITI Aayog’s 2018 composite water administration index reveals that India is dealing with its worst water disaster in historical past. About 200,000 Indians die yearly as a result of insufficient entry to secure water and 600 million face excessive to excessive water stress, the index states, citing knowledge by unbiased companies. The report warns that twenty-one cities, together with Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad will run out of groundwater by 2020, affecting 100 million folks. If the current state of affairs continues, there will likely be a 6 % loss to the nation’s GDP by 2050. The mixture of quickly declining groundwater ranges and restricted coverage motion is more likely to be a big meals safety threat for the nation, says the report. A 12 months on, elements of south India face an acute scarcity of water. In Chennai, whose metropolitan space is dwelling to nearly 9 million people- the 4 important reservoirs that offer water to town are at the moment at lower than one % of their storage stage. The successive failure of the Northeast monsoon up to now three years has dried up wells and water our bodies. Colleges, hospitals, workplaces, eating places are struggling in Chennai, regardless of rainwater harvesting being obligatory in Tamil Nadu. GP Sharma, president of metrology at Skymet Climate stated that the current disaster is a extreme one. He stated, “The prime motive for that is the deficit monsoon final 12 months. The post-monsoon, which we additionally know as Northeast monsoon, noticed a deficit of 44 %. Though winter ended on an general optimistic be aware, rainfall in the course of the pre-monsoon interval, from April to Might, had a 25 % deficit.” Nonetheless, Chennai will not be the one metropolis which is fighting the disaster. Of 91 main reservoirs within the nation, 11 have zero % storage. Additional, nearly two-thirds of the nation’s reservoirs have beneath regular ranges, a report by the Central Water Fee’s report revealed in June. Amid the crises, the Karnataka authorities is planning to ban the development of latest multi-storeyed residential buildings for the following 5 years. Simply final 12 months, an acute scarcity of water had hit Shimla, and large vacationer footfalls on the similar time had made the state of affairs worse. Shimla has a inhabitants of 0.17 million and in the course of the peak vacationer season in summer season, roughly 10,000 vacationers go to town day-after-day. Man-made disaster Talking on the disaster, water conservationist and environmentalist Rajendra Singh stated, “That is probably the most extreme disaster within the historical past of the nation. Earlier, there was a disaster of meals and different issues, however right now, we’re struggling for water. As many as 256 districts in 17 states are within the crimson zone.” He added, “We people are so centered in direction of growth that we’ve not even given rivers a proper to stream. Water our bodies akin to lakes, ponds and tanks have by no means been on the radar of policymakers. These water our bodies had a task in recharging groundwater and in stopping floods by absorbing extra rainwater. Earlier, there have been 30 lakh such water our bodies throughout the nation, whereas right now, there are simply 10 lakh of them. In Delhi alone, 800 such our bodies existed, and right now, the quantity is 380 and that too, simply on paper. We’ve encroached on them to assemble buildings, bus stops, and so on. Floods and droughts are inevitable if this continues.” Encroachment of such water our bodies has been recognized as one of many prime causes for the 2013 flash floods of Uttarakhand, and floods in Chennai (2015) and Mumbai (2005). Talking on the human causes behind the water disaster, Sharma stated, “The utilisation of a useful resource as vital as water must be considered. The place water is accessible, we’re consuming it carelessly. The significance of water and the necessity to reserve it has to sink in. A small instance is an RO water air purifier, which is often used. Two-third of water is wasted by way of such machines. File picture of water conservationist Rajendra Singh. Ajay Singh/Firstpost Cropping Patterns As per a 2018 research by NABARD and Indian Council for Analysis on Worldwide Financial Relations, shifting a significant chunk of the rice manufacturing to India’s central and jap states like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, whereas encouraging wheat cultivation by way of sustainable irrigation within the rice-growing areas of Punjab and Haryana, may assist India forestall an impending water disaster by 2030. Talking on how sowing patterns have worsened issues, Rajendra Singh stated, “Earlier, farmers would sow crops when it rained. However now, with the unsure monsoons, every thing from the sowing of crops to irrigating the land, is completed with groundwater. Producing meals with groundwater will hit the nation in the long term.” As per the Central Water Fee, 85.three % of the overall water consumed in India was for agriculture in 2000, and the determine is more likely to lower to 83.three % by 2025. Singh stated, “One of many prime causes for this unregulated use of groundwater is the commercialisation of crops. The federal government pays the very best subsidies and charge for 3 of probably the most water-intensive crops — sugarcane, rice and wheat. It’s excessive time for the federal government to teach farmers about using cropping patterns as per the provision of water.” Rice and wheat, two of India’s most vital meals crops, are probably the most water-intensive. Producing a kilogram of rice requires a mean of two,800 liters of water, whereas a kilogram of wheat requires 1,654 liters of water, as per a current report by WaterAid India. A report on groundwater assets of Punjab by the Central Floor Water Board and the state’s Water Sources and Atmosphere Directorate has discovered that there’s over-exploitation of groundwater to fulfill the agricultural necessities within the state. Out of 138 blocks, 109 blocks are “over-exploited”, two blocks are “important”, 5 are “semi-critical” and solely 22 fall within the secure class. Water harvesting: A precedence Groundwater makes up 40 % of the nation’s water provide. The erratic monsoon and successive droughts have led to extreme depletion of groundwater, which resulted within the decline of groundwater by 61 % between 2007 and 2017. A 2018 report by WaterAid has already put India on the high of a listing of nations with the worst entry to wash water near houses. Failure to recharge groundwater on the similar tempo at which it’s withdrawn will solely irritate the disaster. Talking on the necessity to harvest water, Singh stated, “There may be this easy formulation for this. The place water is ‘operating’, we should make it ‘stroll’, and when it ‘walks’, we should make it ‘crawl.’ The place water ‘crawls’, we have to make it relaxation on the bottom. That method, it won’t evaporate, and it may be used when wanted.” Proper to Water Madhya Pradesh is mulling a legislation granting “proper to water” — which might assure a certain quantity of water per particular person per day. The legislation may additionally have stringent provisions towards wastage of water. Sanjay Upadhyay, an environmental lawyer and founding father of the Enviro Authorized Defence Agency, stated, “We actually want this legislation to make sure fundamental quantum of water to each citizen each day, whether or not in city or rural areas. The utmost use of water is in agriculture, after which comes home, industrial and industrial consumption. Pricing mechanisms for these are vital and need to be clarified by way of this legislation.” In actual fact, the time is ripe for stringent legal guidelines to make sure the saving of water throughout the nation, not simply in Madhya Pradesh. Your information to the newest cricket World Cup tales, evaluation, stories, opinions, stay updates and scores on https://www.firstpost.com/firstcricket/series/icc-cricket-world-cup-2019.html. 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[townpostin]

Monsoon Showers Drench Jamshedpur, More Rain Expected

Heavy rainfall predicted across Jharkhand districts as weather department issues alerts Jamshedpur residents welcome rain after prolonged dry spell, bringing relief from heat and water scarcity concerns in Kolhan region. JAMSHEDPUR – The steel city recorded 33.8 mm of rainfall on Monday between 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM, offering respite from the recent heat wave. The much-anticipated monsoon showers…

[townpostin]

Heavy Rainfall Alerts for 18 Jharkhand Districts as Cyclone Approaches

Weather Department Warns of Potential Downpours Amid Ongoing Monsoon Deficit Jharkhand braces for heavy rainfall as cyclonic system from Bay of Bengal moves inland, potentially alleviating the 61% monsoon deficit since June 1. RANCHI – The Meteorological Department has issued heavy rainfall warnings for 18 districts in Jharkhand for July 1 and 2, 2024, as a cyclonic system from the Bay of Bengal…

[townpostin]

Heavy Rainfall Alerts Issued for Jharkhand as Monsoon Intensifies

Meteorological Centre Ranchi Warns of Widespread Precipitation Across Multiple Districts Jharkhand braces for significant rainfall as the Meteorological Centre in Ranchi issues alerts for heavy downpours across the state, signaling a potential turnaround in the monsoon deficit. RANCHI – The Meteorological Centre, Ranchi has issued a series of heavy rain warnings for Jharkhand, indicating an…

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Extreme drought, climate change and criminality drive explosion of fires in Brazil

A huge cloud of thick smoke covers almost all of Brazil. The colors of the mega-biodiverse country that, among other ecosystems, is home to the world’s largest rainforest have given way to gray smoke, and acrid soot. As a resident of São Paulo, the largest Brazilian city, I can’t remember the last time I saw the sky. Unbelievably, this scenario is the same in about 60% of the Brazilian territory.

The situation that led São Paulo and its metropolitan region, according to the IQAir website, to register, earlier this week, the worst air quality among all the world’s metropolises is the result of a combination of climate change impacts and criminal forest burning for land clearance and occupation. At the same time, more than half of Brazil is also suffering the direct impact of the climate crisis, facing our worst drought in the last 44 years. When it comes to fires, the country is about to surpass an astonishing 160,000 fire outbreaks in 2024 – a number 104% higher compared to last year, in which almost 78,000 outbreaks were registered.

According to Cemaden (the National Center for Monitoring and Warning of Natural Disasters), a total of 1,995 Brazilian cities are in a situation of extreme drought, and more than 1,300 municipalities are facing severe drought conditions. It is the first time that a deficit of rainfall has been observed for such a long time, regular rains are expected just for mid-October, in such an extensive area of Brazil – conditions which drives the spread of fires. The fires that spread through practically all Brazilian ecosystems, with the Amazon, the Cerrado and the Pantanal being the most affected, are caused by human action in 90% of the cases.

According to the government, in the first seven months of this year, more than 5.7 million hectares were burned, a growth of 92% compared to 2023. Mato Grosso, Pará, Amazonas and Tocantins, all states in the Legal Amazon, lead the fires. In Mato Grosso, for example, the increase in fires jumped 646%, from 1,400 last year to almost 10,700 this year.

The explosion of fires, as well as coincidences in the burned areas, raises suspicions of criminal and orchestrated acts. In the state of São Paulo, for example, according to information from IPAM (Amazon Environmental Research Institute) 2,600 hot spots were registered between August 22 and 24th, 81% of which were concentrated in areas of agricultural use. The analysis also shows the appearance of columns of smoke in the state in a short interval of 90 minutes, raising even more suspicions about criminal acts.

Continue reading.

[palmoilnews]

TOP NEWS Agricultural Commodities > Favourable weather swells outlook for Australia wheat harvest > India braces for another month of above-average rainfall in September > ISO forecasts 2024/25 global sugar deficit of 3.58 mln tons > Wine wins, crops lose, as farmers grapple with record Balkans heat > GRAINS-Wheat rises on European supply issues, corn and soy on greater demand > Bird flu infects California dairy cows, widening US outbreak > Indonesia seeks to import 900,000 metric tons of rice until year-end > Argentine soy, corn exports bounce back despite lower US prices > USDA July soy crush estimated at 192.135 million bushels, analysts say > ICCO raises 2023/24 global cocoa deficit forecast > Ukraine says 2024 grain harvest at 28.7 mln T so far in 2024 > China urges caution as price speculation grips herb and tea markets > SOFTS-Raw sugar prices ease, robusta coffee sets new peak > VEGOILS-Palm oil logs first monthly rise in three months

[naturecoaster]

District Declares Modified Phase I Water Shortage

Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties will be limited to once-per-week lawn watering beginning Dec. 1 District Declares Modified Phase I Water Shortage The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) Governing Board voted today to declare a Modified Phase I Water Shortage due to ongoing dry conditions throughout the region and increasing water supply concerns. The restrictions apply to all of Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and Sumter counties; portions of Charlotte, Highlands and Lake counties; the City of Dunnellon and The Villages in Marion County; and the portion of Gasparilla Island in Lee County from Nov. 21, 2023 through July 1, 2024. The District received lower than normal rainfall during its summer rainy season and currently has a 9.2-inch districtwide rainfall deficit compared to the average 12-month total. In addition, water levels in the District’s water resources, such as aquifers, rivers and lakes, are beginning to decline. The Modified Phase I Water Shortage Order does not change allowable watering schedules for most counties, however it does prohibit “wasteful and unnecessary” water use and twice-per-week lawn watering schedules remain in effect except where stricter measures have been imposed by local governments. Residents are asked to check their irrigation systems to ensure they are working properly. This means testing and repairing broken pipes and leaks, and fixing damaged or tilted sprinkler heads. Residents should also check their irrigation timer to ensure the settings are correct and the rain sensor is working properly. However, as of Dec. 1, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties will be limited to once-per-week lawn watering. These additional restrictions are needed because Tampa Bay Water, which supplies water to most of the three-county area, was unable to completely refill the 15-billion-gallon C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir this summer due to the lower-than-normal rainfall. Once-per-week lawn watering days and times are as follows unless your city or county has a different schedule or stricter hours in effect (Citrus, Hernando and Sarasota counties, and the cities of Dunedin and Venice, have local ordinances that remain on one-day-per-week schedules): - If your address (house number) ends in... - ...0 or 1, water only on Monday - ...2 or 3, water only on Tuesday - ...4 or 5, water only on Wednesday - ...6 or 7, water only on Thursday - ...8 or 9*, water only on Friday             * and locations without a discernible address - Unless your city or county already has stricter hours in effect, properties under two acres in size may only water before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. - Unless your city or county already has stricter hours in effect, properties two acres or larger may only water before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. - Low-volume watering of plants and shrubs (micro-irrigation, soaker hoses, hand watering) is allowed any day and any time. The order also requires local utilities to review and implement procedures for enforcing year-round water conservation measures and water shortage restrictions, including reporting enforcement activity to the District. The District also continues to work closely with Tampa Bay Water to ensure a sustainable water supply for the Tampa Bay region. For additional information about the Modified Phase I Water Shortage Order, visit the District’s website WaterMatters.org/Restrictions. For water conserving tips, visit WaterMatters.org/Water101. Read the full article