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39 Sunday, 11 August 2019- edited by Ilaria
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The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
approved and accepted Change and Land: an
IPCC special report on climate change,
desertification, land degradation, sustainable
land management, food security, and greenhouse gas
fluxes in terrestrial ecosystemsat its 50thSession
held on 2-7 August 2019.
Land
is already under growing human pressure and
climate change is adding to these pressures.
At
the same time, keeping hlobal warming to well
below 2°C can be achieved only by reducing
greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors
including land and food. Roughly 500 million
people live in areas that experience
desertification. Drylands and areas that
experience desertification are also more
vulnerable to climate change and extreme events
including drought, heatwaves, and dust storms,
with an increasing global population providing
further pressure. The report sets out options to
tackle land degradation, and prevent or adapt to
further climate change. It also examines potential
impacts from different levels of global
warming.
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According
to the WRI’s updated Aqueduct Water Risk
Atlas -which ranks water stress, drought risk, and
riverine flood risk across 189 countries and their
sub-national regions- 17 countries, which are
home to a quarter of the world’s population, face
“extremely high” water stress. In these countries,
agriculture, industry, and municipalities are
drinking up 80 percent of available surface and
groundwater in an average year. When demand rivals
supply, even small dry shocks – which are set to
increase due to climate change – can produce dire
consequences.
In
the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region,
home to 12 of the 17 countries facing “extremely
high” stress, experts have pinpointed water
scarcity as a force that can exacerbate conflict
and migration.
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The
Indian government has revoked the special status
of Indian-administered Kashmir in its
constitution.
The
move has worsened the already-heightened tensions
with neighbouring Pakistan.
Pakistan
has already cut two rail links, suspended
bilateral trade and expellrd India’s ambassador,
all part of what it called a diplomatic effort to
protest against the decision.
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Russia’s
opposition held its largest protest in years in
central Moscow in a show of strength and defiance
after previous rallies were forcefully dispersed
with mass arrests. Monitors from the White Counter
group, an NGO that counts participants at rallies,
reported that nearly 50,000 people attended the
demonstration on Saturday, making it the largest
opposition rally since 2013.
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