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How California Became Ground Zero for Climate Disasters

How California Became Ground Zero for Climate Disasters

Photo: Eric Thayer for The New York Times

California is one of America’s marvels. By moving vast quantities of water and suppressing wildfires for decades, the state has transformed its arid and mountainous landscape into the richest, most populous and bounteous place in the nation.

But now, those same feats have given California a new and unwelcome category of superlatives.

This year is the state’s worst wildfire season on record. … [more…]

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Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR): combat poverty and hunger through land and vegetation restoration

Introduction

Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) is a low-cost land restoration technique used to combat poverty and hunger amongst poor subsistence farmers by increasing food and timber production and resilience to climate extremes. Started in 1983 in Niger, FMNR is a form of coppicing and pollarding, drawing on traditional practices and sensitive to local variations.

In FMNR systems, farmers protect and manage the growth of trees and shrubs that regenerate

… [more…]
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Why Fixing the Nation’s Water Crisis and Combating a Pandemic are Linked

Why Fixing the Nation’s Water Crisis and Combating a Pandemic are Linked

Fighting the COVID-19 pandemic requires access to safe, clean water. While some Americans decry their "loss of freedom" by being told to wear a mask in public spaces, others don’t have the freedom to wash their hands with clean water.

Water is necessary for life. Up to 60 percent of the adult human body is water. Water regulates our body temperature and metabolizes and transports carbohydrates and protein in the … [more…]

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Protect Your Groundwater Day

Graphic: Protect Your Groundwater Day 2020

Save the date!

We all rely on groundwater in some way, and groundwater relies on us to protect it.

Protect Your Groundwater Day takes place on September 1, 2020. PYGWD is an annual observance established to highlight the responsible development, management, and use of groundwater. The event is also a platform to encourage yearly water well testing and well maintenance.

Check out the Groundwater Foundation’s tools for engaging the next … [more…]

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Up to half of world’s water supply stolen annually, study finds

Up to half of world's water supply stolen annually, study finds

The Darling river in Louth, New South Wales. The amount of Australian water lost through theft is particularly relevant as governments grapple with the next stage of the Murray-Darling Basin plan. Photograph: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

As water scarcity increases from factors including climate change, so do drivers of water theft, an ongoing problem in Australia

Between 30% and 50% of the world’s water supply is stolen each year, mainly by … [more…]