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☆ Water shortages are likely brewing future wars — with several flashpoints across the globe
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-05 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), a non-profit with expertise in water governance, has said that even amid a possible rise in social conflicts and violence, "water can be a bridge to peaceful negotiations rather than a trigger or weapon of war." The severity of the global water crisis has been further underlined by an alarming rise in the number of security incidents. Egypt-Ethiopia tensionsVillanova University's Galgano identified nine international river basins as flashpoints in which conflict is either already taking place or the potential for armed conflict is high. These included the Nile Basin in Africa, the Tigris-Euphrates River Basins of southwestern Asia and the Helmand and Harirud Rivers along the border of Afghanistan and Iran. Major international river basins in conflict.

Persons: Hamed, Francis Galgano, You've, you've, Galgano, Idrees Mohammed, Villanova University's Galgano, Harirud Rivers, GERD, They've, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Hussein Faleh Organizations: Afp, Getty, Villanova University in, CNBC, Department, Environment, Villanova University, Stockholm International Water Institute, World Resources Institute, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Control, Villanova Locations: Lake Urmia, Iran, Villanova University in Pennsylvania, transboundary, Stockholm, Bengaluru, Mexico's, Tehran, India, Egypt, Ethiopia, Africa, Asia, Helmand, Harirud, Afghanistan, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iraq's, Basra

LUANG PRABANG, Laos (AP) — Landlocked Laos doesn't have the famous beaches of its neighbors to attract tourists, but instead relies on the pristine beauty of its mountains and rivers and historical sites to bring in visitors. The crown jewel is Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where legend has it that Buddha once rested during his travels. Nestled among the mountains of northern Laos, Luang Prabang was the capital from the 14th to the 16th century before it was moved to Vientiane. “This dam won't generate a lot of power for Laos, it's going to power new shopping malls in Bangkok,” Eyler said of the Luang Prabang project. “In isolation, the potential transboundary harmful effects due to the Luang Prabang hydropower project may not be substantial," the river commission said.

Persons: Buddha, it's, ”, Brian Eyler, Stimson, Eyler, ” Eyler, Philip Hirsch, “, you've, ” Hirsch, Vietnam —, Barbara Curti Organizations: UNESCO, Asia Program, Sustainability, ” UNESCO, Associated Press, Ministry of Information, Foreign Ministry, Heritage, Monitor, Sydney University, CBA, Commission Locations: LUANG PRABANG, Laos, Prabang, Southeast Asia, Washington, Luang Prabang, Luang, Paris, New Delhi, Vientiane, Vietnam, China, Kunming, Thailand, Stimson, Bangkok, British, Cambodia, Asia, asia

☆ Malaysia drops plans for proposed transborder haze pollution bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO:The sun rises above Kuala Lumpur's skyline on a hazy day in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia October 9, 2023. REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsKUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Malaysia will not proceed with a proposed bill to prevent transborder haze pollution, its environment ministry said, citing difficulties in obtaining the necessary information for prosecution purposes. "To enable the enforcement of a transboundary haze pollution bill, clear evidence that transboundary haze originates from neighbouring countries must be supported by sufficient data such as location maps, coordinates, landowner information and companies operating in the location of fires," the ministry said. It said such information was difficult to obtain as it involved matters of confidentiality, security and national sovereignty. Malaysia last month called on Indonesia and a grouping of Southeast Asian nations to take action as air quality worsened across the country due to fires in Indonesia.

Persons: Hasnoor Hussain, Danial Azhar, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Kuala Lumpur's, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, KUALA LUMPUR, Indonesia

☆ Southeast Asia haze returns as peatland fires fan global warming fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

watch now"The issue is that currently, most governments haven't really looked at the haze and climate change as a unified issue, yet. Something seasonal, that comes and goes, while climate change is something constant and developing," she added. United Nations Environment ProgramMalaysian officials are undoubtedly haunted by the memory of the 2015 and 2019 transboundary haze episodes. School closures were effected in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore — affecting nearly four million students in Malaysia alone. Vicious cycle in the peatlandsThe haze in southern Southeast Asia is emitted mostly from massive peatland fires in Sumatra and Borneo.

Persons: Al Zulkifli, Helena Varkkey, haven't, Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Jusuf Kalla, El Nino, El, Vicious, Varkkey, Sharon Seah, Ulet Ifansasti Organizations: Afp, Getty, El Nino, Universiti, CNBC, ASEAN, Jakarta Globe, United Nations Environment Program Malaysian, World Bank, Kuala, Airport, Nurphoto, ASEAN Specialized Meteorological, Asia, Yusof, Institute, United Nations Environment Program, UNEP, Malaysian, Anadolu Agency, Global, Greenpeace, Oil Locations: Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra, Al, Southeast Asia, Asia, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia, Kalimantan, Malaysia, Indonesian, Jakarta, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Sumatra, El Nino, Borneo, Palem Raya, Borneo . Forest, Anadolu, Eco

☆ What's causing the chronic haze across Southeast Asia?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Despite pleas by Malaysia this week not to "normalise" the haze, Indonesia has flatly denied any responsibility. Global consumption of palm oil, used in a wide range of products such as cookies, candles and as a cooking oil, is growing rapidly. Palm oil is the world's most used edible oil, accounting for 60% of global vegetable oil exports. For Indonesia, the world's biggest palm oil producer, the product is one of the biggest export earners after coal. Export earnings from palm oil and its derivatives stood at $39.28 billion in 2022, according to the Indonesian Palm Oil Association.

Persons: Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Ananda Teresia, Kate Lamb, Bernadette Christina, Naveen Thukral Organizations: of Southeast Asian Nations, Control, ACC, El, Greenpeace, Indonesian Palm Oil Association, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Southeast Asia, Indonesian, WHAT'S, Malaysia, Indonesia, Borneo, Singapore, Greenpeace Indonesia

☆ Explainer: What's causing the chronic haze across Southeast Asia?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Forest and peat fires are an annual problem in Indonesia that strains relations with neighboring countries. In recent years, smoke from the fires has blanketed parts of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and southern Thailand. Hundreds of forest fires in South Kalimantan province in Borneo island made the smoke haze even more widespread, especially during the last week. The local government has also called the students to do online learning because the air quality is unhealthy. “We are still working to handle the forest and land fires in Borneo and Sumatra islands as well as possible.

Persons: Siti Nurbaya Bakar, shouldn't, Bakar Organizations: —, Indonesian, Forestry, Associated Press, Indonesia’s Meteorology, Agency Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, — Indonesia, Sumatra, Borneo, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesian, Malaysia’s, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, IQAir, Swiss, South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan

☆ Indonesia defends haze-fighting effort after Malaysia urges action
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Ananda Teresia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

No haze has been detected heading for Malaysia, however, Environment Minister Siti Nurbaya said, a day after it urged Indonesia and fellow Southeast Asian nations to take action against worsening air quality. "We are already working to prevent and extinguish fires, but not based on Malaysia's request," the minister told Reuters. Indonesia is using helicopters to quench the fires with water bombing while inducing rain with cloud seeding methods, Siti Nurbaya said. In 2015 and 2019, such fires burned millions of hectares of land in Indonesia and sent haze billowing across several Southeast Asian countries, generating record-breaking emissions, scientists have said. Southeast Asian agriculture and forestry officials agreed on Friday to take action to minimise, and eventually stamp out, crop burning.

Persons: Antara, Haze, Siti Nurbaya, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Lax, Rozanna Latiff, Danial, Kanupriya Kapoor, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: ASEAN, Reuters, Malaysian, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Thomson Locations: Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia, ASEAN Indonesia, JAKARTA, cloudseeding, Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, Singapore, Malaysian, Danial Azhar, Kuala Lumpur

☆ Malaysia prepares to make rain, close schools as haze worsens
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Malaysia's air quality was deteriorating, particularly in the western part of Peninsular Malaysia, with 11 areas recording unhealthy air pollution index (API) readings, the department's director general, Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar, said in a statement late on Monday. Malaysia said last week fires in neighbouring Indonesia were causing the pollution although Indonesia has denied detecting any smoke drifting over its borders into Malaysia. Schools and kindergartens must stop all outdoor activities when API readings reach 100, and close when they reach 200, he said. The environmental group Greenpeace, meanwhile, called on countries in the region to introduce legislation to stop plantation companies causing air pollution. Singapore, which prides itself on its clean air, passed a cross-border air pollution law in 2014 that makes those who cause haze both criminally and civilly liable.

Persons: Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar, Wan Abdul Latiff, Heng, Chun, Rozanna, Robert Birsel Organizations: of Environment, Malaysian, Greenpeace, Greenpeace Southeast, Thomson Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Indonesia, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Singapore

☆ Malaysia Prepares to Make Rain, Close Schools as Haze Worsens
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Persons: Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar, Wan Abdul Latiff, Heng, Chun, Rozanna, Robert Birsel Organizations: Reuters, of Environment, Malaysian, Greenpeace, Greenpeace Southeast Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Indonesia, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Singapore

☆ Natural evolution: Record Galapagos deal sparks clamour for eco-friendly debt swaps
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The growing appetite comes as record numbers of developing world governments face debt pressures due to higher global interest rates. There have been around 140 over the past 35 years, but even including last month's super-sized Galapagos deal they have only involved around $5 billion of debt altogether. The top-level attendees will be urged to do more, not only debt swaps, but also by providing foreign exchange guarantees and automatic debt-payment breaks for countries hit by climate-related disasters. "Seeing something that has a group of countries involved would be amazing," Issa said. Ecuador says it is eyeing another transaction to capitalise on the halo effect from the Galapagos deal.

Persons: Ramzi Issa, Charles Darwin's, Issa, Ilan Goldfajn, Scott Nathan, Nathan, Emmanuel Macron, Mia Mottley, Suisse's Issa, Simon Jessop, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Ecuador, Credit Suisse, Inter, American Development Bank, U.S . International Development Finance Corporation, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: Ecuador, Belize, Barbados, Gabon, Paris, Sri Lanka, Indian, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Seychelles

☆ Pollution choking Thailand's north hits tourism, worries public
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CHIANG MAI, Thailand, April 10 (Reuters) - High pollution levels in Thailand's northern city of Chiang Mai and surrounding provinces are keeping tourists away and alarming locals, with the government on Monday urging residents to avoid outdoor activities. For several weeks last month the city was at the top of air quality information platform IQAir's global chart on poor air quality, ahead of Lahore and New Delhi. That is far short of the 80% to 90% expected ahead of this week's Thai New Year holidays, known as Songkran. Addressing the deteriorating air quality in the north, Thailand's health ministry urged the public on Monday to avoid outdoor activities and wear masks that can filter particles. Chiang Mai resident Pathsharasakon Po, 36, said she was concerned about allergies, or even cancer.

☆ Brazil sinks rusting old aircraft carrier in the Atlantic
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Brazil sank a decommissioned aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Ocean off its northeast coast, the Brazilian Navy said, despite warnings from environmentalists that the rusting 1960s French-built ship would pollute the sea and the marine food chain. The 32,000-tonne carrier had been floating offshore for three months since Turkey refused it entry to be scrapped there because it was an environmental hazard and the ship was towed back to Brazil. The Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier served the French Navy for four decades as the Foch, capable of carrying 40 war planes. It then decided to sink the Sao Paulo at high sea. The company's legal representative in Brazil, Zilan Costa e Silva, said that disposal of the carrier was the Brazilian state's responsibility under the 1989 Basel Convention on the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes.

☆ At U.N., Micronesia denounces Japan plan to release Fukushima water into Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A worker, wearing protective suits and masks, takes notes in front of storage tanks for radioactive water at Tokyo Electric Power Co's (TEPCO) tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan February 10, 2016. REUTERS/Toru HanaiUNITED NATIONS, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The president of the Pacific island state of Micronesia denounced at the United Nations on Thursday Japan's decision to discharge what he called nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station into the Pacific Ocean. Japan said in July that its nuclear regulators had approved a plan to release into the Pacific ocean water used to cool reactors in the aftermath of the March 2011 Fukushima disaster. Panuelo also highlighted the threat posed by climate change, to which Pacific island states are particularly vulnerable. He called on geopolitical rivals the United States and China to consider it "a non-political and non-competitive issue for cooperation."

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