Six million facing hunger in southern Africa-IFRC

Zimbabwean children carry vegetables as they walk past a house in Hatcliff outside Harare, Zimbabwe, November 15, 2012. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo

GENEVA, March 4 (Reuters) - More than 6 million people across Angola, Lesotho, Malawi and Zimbabwe are at risk of severe food shortages because of repeated cycles of drought and flooding, the global humanitarian body IFRC said on Monday.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said the crisis was passing largely unnoticed in the outside world and its appeals for financial support had won limited support.

"This is a chronic crisis in which cycles of drought and flooding are destroying crops, livestock and safe drinking-water supplies. People don't have enough to eat or clean water to drink," said IFRC official Alexander Matheou.

"Malaria, cholera and diarrhoea are common," said Matheou, the Geneva-based body's regional representative in southern Africa, in a statement distributed to a news briefing.

The IFRC said four countries were suffering particularly badly, with 725,000 people in Lesotho - about 40 per cent of the country's population - hit by the crisis.

Nearly 2 million were at risk in Malawi, more than 1.8 million in Angola, and 1.6 million in rural areas of Zimbabwe. In all four, rates of child malnutrition were soaring, reaching 50 percent more than last year in some areas.

An additional complication, Matheou said, was the prevalence of HIV across southern Africa.

Some 34 percent of people around the world carrying the disease live in the region, and 23.2 percent of Lesotho's population were infected, the globe's third highest rate among adults, the IFRC official said.

The organisation said lack of food can undermine efforts to counter the spread of HIV, because the sickening effect that the anti-retroviral treatment has on an empty stomach deters many sufferers from taking it.

"There needs to be a large-scale, well-funded, coordinated effort between governments, businesses and humanitarian and development agencies to alleviate immediate suffering and support people to build economically viable lives," said Matheou.

An appeal to donors in October for 1,119,000 Swiss francs ($1.2 million) to fund IFRC programmes in Lesotho had so far brought in only 17 percent. Another for Angola for 1,562,562 Swiss francs had been only 4 percent met.

Appeals for Malawi and Zimbabwe in October and December had had a better response with 57 percent of the total sought for Malawi, 1,025,310 Swiss francs, and 33 percent of the 1,290,342 Swiss francs sought for Zimbabwe now received. ($1 = 0.9453 Swiss francs)

- AlertNet

Despite Rain, Drought Lingers in the United States

The deep drought in the United States that has fueled wildfires, damaged crops, and caused near record-low water levels on the Mississippi River has lingered well into January. Though there has been some relief from a series of recent winter storms, a pair of satellites operated by NASA show that groundwater supplies continue to be unusually low in many parts of the country.
The maps above combine data from the twin satellites of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) with other satellite and ground-based measurements to model the relative amount of water stored near the surface and underground between January 8 and January 14, 2013. The top map shows moisture content in the top 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) of surface soil; the bottom map shows the condition of groundwater in aquifers. The soil moisture map depicts short-term conditions, while the groundwater map offers a longer-term perspective.
The wetness, or water content, of each layer is compared to the average between 1948 and 2009. In the soil moisture map (top), the streak of blue that stretches from the lower Mississippi Valley through Maine is evidence of weather systems that moved through the area during the last week, dropping rain and snow in some areas. However, the groundwater map (bottom) shows that these storms have done little to replenish parched aquifers. Groundwater levels remain at very low levels in many parts of the country, particularly in the Rockies, the Great Plains, and the Southeast.

1. References and Related Links

2. National Drought Mitigation Center. (2013, January 14). Groundwater and Soil Moisture Conditions from GRACE Data Assimilation. Accessed November 30, 2011.
3. Climate Central. (2013, January 17). Drought Shrinks Slightly; NOAA Issues Gloomy Outlook. Accessed January 18, 2013.
4. New York Times. (2013, January 17). Keeping the Boats Moving Along a Mississippi Dwindled by Drought. Accessed January 18, 2013.
5. Weather Underground. (2013, January 18). Drought Predicted to Continue Through April; Record low Lake Michigan Water Levels. Accessed January 18, 2013.

Maps by Chris Poulsen, National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, based on data from Matt Rodell, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and the GRACE science team. Caption by Adam Voiland.

Instrument: 

GRACE - NASA

Hefty fine for Mossel Bay Municipality re desalination plant

The department of Environmental Affairs is particularly concerned over the potential impact of brine discharges by the Mossel Bay desalination plant on White Sharks, an apex predator critical to the functioning of the ecosystem in the bay. Shark numbers are especially high at Seal Island where they play an important economic role and are crucial for research purposes.

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The Mossel Bay Municipality was fined R92 000 for commencing with the building of the desalination plant ahead of a formal environmental impact assessment (EIA).

Due to the devastating drought in 2009/2010, and as it formed part of the long term water supply planning, the municipality considered its options and responsibilities and decided to build the plant to safeguard its community against the effects of the drought.

However, the EIA that was done since indicate a possible negative effect on marine life in the immediate vicinity of the outlet pipe, therefore the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning levied an administrative fine, which the municipality must settle before the department's final decision on the plant is released.

According to the municipal manager, Dr Michele Gratz, the municipality will appeal this decision.

The drought of 2009 and 2010 was the worst in the Southern Cape in more than 130 years. The Eden District Municipality declared the Garden Route region in a state of disaster and asked National Government for help in responding to the looming water shortage crisis.

The Mossel Bay Municipality placed restrictions on water use and reduced monthly water use by almost 50%. However, water levels in the dams continued to fall and by October 2010, the Wolwedans Dam level was 15%. It was estimated that the dam could run dry by the end of 2010 and the municipality needed to take immediate action to ensure on-going water supply.

The municipality considered its options and concluded that the only viable solution was a seawater desalination plant. The plant could be built within nine months and does not rely on rain and run-of-river supplies.

At the time, seawater desalination also formed part of Mossel Bay's existing future water supply planning and so, while it could help overcome the immediate drought emergency, it could also help realise a part of the future water supply plan.
Building a seawater desalination plant is a regulated activity in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998) (NEMA), the Integrated Coastal Management Act (Act 24 of 2008), the National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998) and the National Heritage Resources Act (Act 25 of 1999), and thus requires authorisation before constructing such a plant.

Due to the drought, the municipality could not wait for these permissions because the town could run out of water during the long period it would take to get the authorisation. The unauthorised commencement of a listed activity identified in the EIA Regulations is, however, an offence in terms of Section 24 F (2) of NEMA and therefore, starting to build the desalination plant, although planned, remained unlawful.

However, NEMA Section 24F(3) also states that 'It is a defence to a charge to show that the activity was commenced or continued in response to an emergency so as to protect human life, property or the environment'.

On this basis, the municipality liaised with the relevant government departments and agreed to do an EIA at the same time it built the desalination plant. This is known as a Section 24G EIA, which is officially titled a 'Rectification of unlawful commencement of activity'.

In order to conclude a Section 24G process, NEMA Section 24G (2A) states that an applicant must pay an administrative fine, which may not exceed R1-million and which must be determined by the competent authority, before the Minister or MEC concerned may issue a final decision. In this regard, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning have served the Mossel Municipality with a R92 000 administrative fine, in terms of Section 24G (2A).

All registered I&APs, as well as the Mossel Bay Municipality have until 20 November to lodge an intention to appeal with the Department with regards to the notification of the fine by the Department, and the municipality intends to appeal against the fine.

The EIA concluded that:
* There was a need for an emergency bulk water supply project and desalination was the best option for this.

* Whilst the municipality did not have the required permission from the various government departments, they went about the construction of the plant in a responsible manner and in line with the required process to address this.

* If all recommended management and mitigation measures are applied, the overall environmental impact is unlikely to be significant.

* It is essential that the significance of the impacts on the marine ecosystem be confirmed through an Initial Marine Monitoring Programme (IMMP) and reassessment, and that this is used to modify the plant operations if necessary. The implementation of the IMMP and the reassessment of the impacts on the marine life after follow-up biological surveys is a critical recommendation coming out of the EIA.

* The operation of the desalination plant could have a number of positive cumulative or indirect impacts, including reducing the amount of water taken from rivers, making more water available for farming, allowing the town to overcome even more severe droughts and delaying the need for new bulk water supply infrastructure (such as new dams).
The potential effect of the brine discharge on White Sharks was a concern of the department and contributed to the increased biodiversity impact index and as a result, the administrative fine was increased from R62 000 to R92 000.

The outlet pipe for the desalination plant is located approximately 440m offshore at a depth of eight metre. The department was particularly concerned over the potential impact of brine discharges on White Sharks, an apex predator and critical to the functioning of the ecosystem in the bay. Shark numbers are especially high at Seal Island, where they play an important economic role and are crucial for research purposes.

There are, however, according to the EIA, no foreseeable or actual pollution released into the bay or into the Estuary.
Four potential sites, the Mossel Bay harbour, old whaling station, Klein Brak Beach parking lot and adjacent to the existing Waste Treatments Works, were initially investigated for the project. Due to the urgency of the project's implementation and the time constraints, no detailed assessment of these alternative sites were undertaken, as would happen under normal circumstances.

The preferred site was chosen as, significantly, the seawater intake pipe runs off shore in the general direction of Seal Island. The island is used to shelter the intake, moderating the uptake of debris, sediments and other contaminants that occur in high concentrations in the open and otherwise turbulent ocean. The brine water pipeline follows the same route as the intake pipeline, but only extend half the distance. The plant is also situated within the existing PetroSA compound, allowing the structure to blend in with the existing surrounds.

ARTICLE: NICKEY LE ROUX, MOSSEL BAY ADVERTISER JOURNALIST

Cheyenne Bottoms in Drought

Not only were crops affected by drought in the United States in the summer of 2012. Wetlands throughout the Midwest and Great Plains were also diminishing drastically, reducing critical habitat for migrating birds.
These images from the Landsat satellites show the effect of the 2012 drought on the Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands in central Kansas. The shallow marshes at Cheyenne Bottoms are an ideal rest stop for the 250,000 waterfowl and shorebirds of various species that pass through every year.
The top image was acquired by Landsat 5 on June 18, 2010, during a relatively average summer for water levels in the area. The second image, taken by Landsat 5 on June 5, 2011, shows Cheyenne Bottoms during a moderate drought season. The third image, acquired by Landsat 7 on July 17, 2012, show a parched landscape thirsting for water. Blue water has been replaced by dull brown of dried up wetlands and shallow, muddy water.
At the time of the third image, Kansas had endured its driest and second-hottest summer on record, resulting in the third most severe drought (after 1934 and 1956). Land managers from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks use dikes, pumps, and water diversions to manage water levels and mitigate the drought’s effect on the 20,000 acres of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands. But in the severe drought year of 2012, the water management system has been strained and acres of the wetlands have disappeared.

1. References

2. The Nature Conservancy (n.d.) Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve. Accessed October 5, 2012.
3. NOAA National Climatic Data Center (2012) State of the Climate: Drought. Accessed October 5, 2012.
4. U.S. Geological Survey (n.d.) Effects of Drought. Accessed October 5, 2012.
5. Wetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway (n.d.) Cheyenne Bottoms. Accessed October 5, 2012.

NASA images by Mike Taylor, using Landsat data. Caption by Tassia Owen.

Instrument: 

Landsat 7 - ETM+ - NASA

Ethiopia turns to wind power to boost energy security

A view of the Adama I wind farm, located about 95 km (59 miles) southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The farm is the only wind power scheme in the Rift Valley. ALERTNET/E.G. Woldegebriel

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AlertNet) – Ethiopia is venturing into large-scale wind power generation for the first time as it embarks on an ambitious plan to increase its electrical capacity four-fold by 2015 to meet rising domestic demand and gain export revenues.

While hydroelectric power will remain a predominant energy source, the country is looking to diversify its production of renewable power. Hydro power is vulnerable to the effects of climatic change, and non-renewable fuels such as gasoline and charcoal are polluting and expensive.

The government hopes that its plan will enable it to generate surplus power for export to neighbouring countries.

Wind power has been pursued primarily in Asia, the West and to some extent North Africa. Ethiopia’s first steps into this technology call for seven projects as part of the government’s Growth and Transformation Plan.

The first is the 120 megawatt (MW) Ashegoda Wind Farm Project, about 760 km (475 miles) north of the capital, Addis Ababa, in Tigray Regional State. It is set to be commissioned in late 2012 or early 2013 after almost four years of work.

The farm will consist of 54 wind turbines with a capacity of 1.67 MW each, and 30 with a capacity of 1 MW. Construction is being undertaken by the French company Vergnet SA at cost of nearly $300 million, with the loan guaranteed by French financial firms.

A further project is the 51 MW Adama I wind farm, located about 95 km (59 miles) southeast of the capital, and the only wind power scheme in the Rift Valley.

The $117 million Adama project is financed through a loan from the Export-Import Bank of China and being undertaken by the Chinese companies CGCOC Joint Venture and Hydro China. The wind farm was slated to be commissioned by June 2012 but is now reportedly due to be finished this month.

Hydro power currently makes up about 90 percent of Ethiopia’s total power supply. Officials at the state-owned power utility Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) acknowledge that electricity generated by wind is more expensive, although the cost of hydro power varies depending on factors such as the water flow in rivers, they said.

COPING WITH LACK OF RAINFALL

Nevertheless, officials point out that wind power can complement the hydro supply and serve as a guarantor against power shortages as the demand for electricity rises.

The technologies may be particularly complementary as power production from reservoirs and dams diminishes once the rainy season is over, but winds begin to pick up at the same time, they said.

“The wind power project is cheaper and takes little space to install compared to the (gasoline fuelled) generators that the country uses in times of power shortages,” said Gossaye Mengiste, director of energy studies and development follow-up at the Ministry of Water and Energy (MoWE), which oversees the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation.

Mengiste said that power outages are still a regular occurrence in Ethiopia’s major cities. About half the area of Ethiopia still has no access to mains electricity.

According to Stephan Willms, a project manager and coordinator for the Wind Energy Public Private Partnership Programme run by European companies Enervest, Consta and Renewco, Ethiopia must do more to use its wind power potential effectively.

According to Willms, whose programme provides training to local wind energy based industries, major challenges include persuading international companies of the market potential for wind power in Ethiopia, as well as getting them to work with local companies.

He added that it can be difficult finding competent local business that can produce the necessary high-technology products.

Fisseha Gebremichael, the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation’s manager for wind projects, said the new schemes aim not only to generate energy from wind power but also to enhance local expertise and resources.

“Because this is the inaugural project in this sector in Ethiopia, local input is lower,” Gebremichael said.

However, he added that the power company expects technology transfer and capacity building of local staff in the Ashegoda project to enable subsequent wind projects to be built mostly with local expertise.

LEARNING FROM CHINA

Willms believes that Ethiopia could learn from the experience of China, which after building up its domestic skills mandated that at least 70 percent of wind energy products be made locally. At present he estimates that Ethiopian companies can make up to 50 percent of the value-added products needed for wind turbines.

Meanwhile, the Ethiopian government is moving ahead with further projects. Officials at the Ministry of Energy and Water said that a feasibility study for a 153 MW Adama II wind farm has been completed, with construction slated to start by the end of the year.

These projects are part of the government’s plan to generate 890 MW of wind energy by the 2014-2015 fiscal year. Other projects include a 300 MW Ayesha wind farm, projects at Debre Berhan and Assela, which are set to produce 100 MW each, and a Messebo/Harena wind farm with a capacity of 51 MW.

Ethiopia’s Growth and Transformation Plan aims to increase electricity generation from hydro-electric, geothermal, wind and sugar by-products from the current level of about 2,000 MW to 8,000 MW by the end of the plan period in 2015.

The government wants to create a “climate resilient” economy by 2025, with adequate energy for the country’s domestic needs even if hydro power runs short because of reduced rainfall.

A recent 17-month study undertaken by Chinese firm Hydrochina Corporation confirmed the high potential for wind power in the northern and southern parts of Ethiopia, particularly in the Somali region, with a huge estimated wind energy potential of 1.3 million MW.

“If Ethiopia is able to overcome (its) challenges, I believe that the economic as well as the societal cost associated with manmade and naturally inflicted power shortages in the energy supply of the country can be alleviated,” Willms said.

E.G. Woldegebriel is a journalist based in Addis Ababa with an interest in environmental issues.

- AlertNet

Pilot documents Brazil 'flying rivers'

Brasilia - As devastating drought spreads across much of the globe, British-born pilot Gerard Moss flies above the Amazon rainforest to show how its "flying rivers" - humid air currents - bring rain to Brazil and South America.

Aboard his single-engine Embraer 721 aircraft, Moss, a naturalised Brazilian, was on a 45-minute flight from Brasilia to Goiania, capital of the central state of Goias.

"Climate change is taking its toll. The United States is going through its worst drought in half a century, Russia is also reeling from drought and in India monsoon rains have for years been irregular," he said.

"Brazil is less affected because we have the world's biggest tropical forest, which helps regulate the climate."

Deforestation is also a factor. With logging and agriculture shrinking Brazil's rainforests, there are fewer trees to release the water vapour that creates these flying rivers.

Humidity

The flying rivers travel from the Amazon toward the Andes, which act as a natural barrier and redirect huge vapour masses toward the centre-west, southeast and south of Brazil as well as to the north of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname.

"Peru also receives some of that water, but were it not for the Cordillera, it would surely receive it all," Moss said.

During the Goiania-bound flight, Moss monitored an indicator that measures air humidity and helps locate the flying rivers.

"Very few people realise that apart from CO2 capturing, a single tree is capable of sending in the atmosphere more than 1 000l a day," he said.

"The entire Amazon basin is a supplier of fresh water for many other parts of Brazil and the northern parts of Argentina, so it is important for the climate and economy of Brazil," he added.

He has spent five years trying to spread the message that the Amazon rainforest not only cleans the planet's air but also guarantees humidity and rain in Brazil and part of South America, a huge food producing and exporting region.

Scientists believe nearly 20% of the Amazon has been destroyed and some fear a point of no return if destruction reaches 35% to 40%.

Large-scale deforestation has made Brazil one of the world's top greenhouse gas emitters, but the government has vowed to curb it and has made significant strides in the past decade.

Brazilian authorities confirmed earlier this year that deforestation fell to a record low of 6 418 km² in 2011, down from a peak of 27 000km² in 2004.

- AFP/News24

Droogte wag op SA, sê weerkenner oor El Niño wat op pad is

JOHANNESBURG. – Daar is ’n 80%-kans dat die El Niño-weerverskynsel Suid-Afrika gaan tref.

Dit beteken waarskynlik dat September, Oktober en November baie nat gaan wees, maar dat droogte in Desember, Januarie, Februarie en Maart aanstaande jaar gaan intree, het Johan van den Berg, bestuurder: gespesialiseerde gewas-versekering van Santam Agri in Bloemfontein, gister gesê.

Hy het op ’n landbou-vooruitskouingskonferensie in Pretoria gesê weervoorspellers se selfvertroue is deesdae baie laag omdat hulle verkeerde voorspellings doen.

Aan die begin van die jaar het hulle voorspel Februarie en Maart vanjaar gaan nat wees. “En toe was dit al die tyd droog. Dit was dus ’n heeltemal verkeerde voorspelling.”

Van den Berg meen egter sy voorspelling dat ’n El Niño-weerverskynsel op pad is, is 80% korrek.

Hy het graanboere gewaarsku om nie te gou opgewonde te raak as baie reën in die eerste drie maande van die somerseisoen val nie omdat die droogte direk daarop kan volg.

Volgens Van den Berg is dit deesdae baie moeilik om akkurate voorspellings te maak omdat die klimaat onvoorspelbaar geraak het.

Hy het ook gewaarsku dat siklone wat in die Indiese Oseaan ontstaan die ooste van die land weer soos begin vanjaar kan tref.

Die siklone ontstaan omdat die temperature in die oseaan styg. Dit wil voorkom asof dit vanjaar weer gaan gebeur, het hy gesê.

Jerry Norton, Amerikaanse graananalis en lid van die Wêreld-Landbou-vooruitskattingsraad, het gesê die droogte wat Amerika se mieliesektor in Junie, Julie en Augustus getref het, bied groot geleenthede vir Suid-Afrika om ’n groter rol in die uitvoermark van dié gewas te speel.

Norton het die droogte en die gepaardgaande hoë temperature as vernietigend beskryf.

Hy het gesê in die laaste vier jaar het die vraag na mielies in die wêreld die aanbod verreweg oorskry.

Ken Su van PricewaterhouseCoopers se kantoor in China het gesê dié land is nou amptelik Suid-Afrika se grootste handelsvennoot.

“Die geleenthede om voedsel van goeie gehalte na China uit te voer is legio.”

China se 1,35miljard mense moet gevoed word en die land produseer nie genoeg om in die vraag te voorsien nie.

Welvaart in China is aan die toeneem, het hy gesê. Die helfte van die bevolking gaan eet een tot drie keer per week uit en 26,4% besoek restaurante vier tot ses keer per week. Altesaam 15% van die bevolking eet elke dag uit, het hy gesê.

“Hulle hou van goeie, gesonde kos.”

- Volksblad

Scarce Rain in India Hits Farmers, Power Supply

Amarnath Sharma has waited weeks for rains to soak his parched rice paddies so that he can start planting. He is one of millions of farmers across India who are hoping and praying for elusive monsoon showers.

But their hopes are being dashed this season: India's Meteorological Department says it expects the country to get at least 10 percent less rain this year than normal during the June-to-September monsoon.

The shortfall also is expected to swell electricity demand in a power-starved nation as farmers turn to irrigation pumps to keep their fields watered. Earlier this week, three of India's regional electricity grids failed for hours in a blackout that affected a swath of the country with about 620 million people.

In a statement late Thursday, the department said rains between June and Aug. 1 have been 19 percent below normal. The remaining August to September monsoon will also be weak because of the impact of warming of the central Pacific Ocean, known as the El Nino, the agency said.

Several Indian states have already declared near-drought conditions and are demanding extra federal funds or announcing large subsidies to help farmers buy diesel fuel to generate electricity to irrigate their fields.

Officials in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh — India's most populous — fear that a drought is around the corner.

Sharma, a rice farmer in the state, said if it doesn't rain in the next few days he'll to forgo a rice crop this year.

"At this time of the year we generally make preparations to tackle floods but paucity of rain has raised an apprehension about drought engulfing the major part of the state," state Agriculture Production Commissioner Alok Ranjan told The Associated Press in the state capital Lucknow on Friday.

In the western state of Gujarat, Bharat, who goes by one name, has waited a long time for his thirsty fields to be quenched.

"We are tired of looking at the sky, but the rain just doesn't fall," he said.

In the country's eastern state of Bihar, at least eight out of 38 districts have received rains 70 percent below normal, said Anil Kumar Jha, the deputy director of the state's agriculture department. Jha said the state is spending 6.19 billion rupees ($112 million) on subsidizing diesel so that farmers could generate electricity to draw up ground water.

Several other states — Haryana and Punjab in the north, Maharashtra in the west and the southern state of Karnataka — have all recorded poor rainfall. These states grow a large amount of the country's rice, wheat, oilseeds and cereals.

A poor monsoon sends ripples across the Indian economy because about 60 percent of the country's population works in agriculture and over half of the farmlands are rain-fed with much of the rest irrigated from rapidly depleting underground aquifers. The sector contributes up to 20 percent to India's gross domestic product.

A poor monsoon also can worsen inflation of food prices.

"If the government doesn't help us we will die of hunger. There's no water to drink and no food to eat," said Bharat, the farmer from western India.

- ABC News

US drought deepens worries about food supplies, prices

Corn plants struggle to survive on the drought-stricken land of farmer Scott Keach who owns 2500 acre Keach Farm in Henderson, Kentucky. Image by: JOHN SOMMERS II / REUTERS

Alarm is growing over the US' unrelenting midwest drought as corporate leaders warn of a spike in food prices.

Worries about the worst drought in more than half a century afflicting the world’s largest grain exporter also deepened overseas, where buyers in China and other hungry nations fret that the expected sharp drop in US harvests will cause shortages and price spikes.

Greg Page, chief executive of global grains trading giant Cargill Inc, joined a chorus of critics of biofuels by urging the US government to temporarily curb its quotas to produce corn-based ethanol fuel.

Page said on CNBC that the US biofuel mandate “needs to be addressed” through existing policy tools. Otherwise, the spike in US corn and soybean prices to record highs will “ration” demand in ways that will hurt food production too much.

“If all of that is only on livestock or food consumers, it really makes the burden disproportionate. What we see are 3 or 4% declines in supply lead to 40 to 50% increases in prices, and I think the mandates are what drives that,” he said.

In 2011, almost 40% of the giant US corn crop went into making ethanol, and the United States still exported more than half of all corn shipments worldwide.

“There is a methodology to reduce the amount of biofuels that is mandated in the U.S,” Page said.

The US Agriculture Department last week raised its estimates of food price inflation due to soaring grain prices tied to the drought, saying prices could rise as much as 3,5% this year and another 3-4% in 2013, led by meat.

On Monday, US livestock groups appealed to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to curb or suspend the mandate, warning against the ruinous impact of soaring feed costs. Corn and soybean meal make up basic animal feedstuffs.

Page said the shortfall in supply would be “manageable” provided that consumers ration their use, that producers don’t impose export constraints and importers don’t embark on a panicked buying spree, as some did in 2008 — a beggar-thy-neighbor approach widely seen to have worsened the price spike.

“We need thoughtful responses from governments. We need to be sure free trade remains. In past periods of shortage of crops, we’ve had embargoes, which have exacerbated peoples’ supply concerns and caused people to take actions that were not helpful to global aggregate food security,” he said.

Crop outlook worsens

Grain analysts polled by Reuters pointed to a US corn crop of 11,2 billion bushels, the smallest in six years and down 14% from USDA’s latest forecast of 12,97 billion. Initial forecasts were for a crop of more than 14 billion bushels.

Soybeans, which were planted later and until now escaped the drought’s pressure, are now also being hurt. Analysts predict a 2,834 billion bushel harvest, the smallest in four years, and down from USDA’s latest estimate of 3,05 billion bushels.

The drought is hitting other food producers besides Cargill.

Oilseed processor and ethanol producer Archer Daniels Midland Inc reported a larger than expected 25% drop in quarterly profit on Tuesday due in part to higher corn prices causing it to lose money making ethanol.

“In a challenging fourth quarter, solid results from our global oilseeds business, particularly in South America, were more than offset by negative US ethanol margins and weaker US merchandising results.” ADM CEO Patricia Woertz said.

Brokerage BB&T Capital Markets last week lowered its earnings forecasts for US pork producer Smithfield Foods Inc and US chicken producer Sanderson Farms Inc, citing corn prices.

But some said that easing off ethanol production — already at a two-year low amid soaring corn prices — was unnecessary.

In Iowa, the largest US corn and soybean producer, Gov. Terry Branstad said on Tuesday he opposed an ethanol waiver.

“Even if you took that kind of action, it probably would have no action on soybean and corn prices,” Branstad said.

Ray Bardole of Rippey, Iowa, a soybean farmer and industry official now touring China, told reporters by phone that he has been reassuring the worried Chinese, who are the biggest importers of US soybeans.

“As we have met with folks from the government, as well as the Chinese media and our customers themselves, that is absolutely the very top thing on their mind,” he said. “’What is the dry weather going to do to our supply?’”

At the Chicago Board of Trade corn and soybean markets eased back from new record highs this week as traders took their profits. Even with Tuesday’s drop, corn prices are up 20% in July to post the biggest two-month rally since the last major drought in 1988.

December corn futures closed down 1,1% at $8,05-1/4 per bushel and November soybeans closed down 0,2% at $16,41 per bushel.

“We are continuing to see a deterioration of the crops,” grains analyst Karl Setzer of MaxYield Cooperative in West Bend, Iowa said, referring to the US Department of Agriculture’s crop progress report issued on Monday.

That report said 24% of the domestic corn crop was in good-to-excellent condition as of Sunday, down from 26% the previous week. That was a tad better than trade expectations for a three-point drop.

The soybean crop was 29% in that category, down from 31% in the previous week.

Those ratings were the worst for those crops since the last major drought in 1988.

- TIMES LIVE

US Crops keep shrinking in historic drought

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Dry and hot weather in the U.S. Midwest for the next week or two will further erode crop conditions, trimming this year's corn and soybean crop production, an agricultural meteorologist forecast Monday.

"It looks like a continued trend of below-average precipitation in the Midwest for the next week to 10 days," said John Dee, meteorologist for Global Weather Monitoring.

Temperatures this week will warm into the upper 80s to low 90s degrees Fahrenheit, with only a few light showers in the east on Monday and some rainfall later in the week, he said.

"There are no widespread soaking rains in sight. Thursday and Friday there could be scattered showers, and by the weekend from 0.30 to 0.80 inch with coverage of about 75 to 80 percent," Dee said. "There won't be as much stress as recently, but crops will continue to deteriorate."

There were mixed signals for the weather early next week, with some weather models showing some rain but others indicating that the dryness would continue.

Rains brought some relief from drought in the northern and eastern Midwest, but overall crops will continue to suffer from the worst drought in more than 50 years, especially in the central and southern Corn Belt.

A lessened U.S. harvest was raising worries about the ability of the world's largest food exporter to meet the needs of food processors, livestock producers and ethanol makers. The lack of rain was also drying up waterways and slowing river shipments of commodities to export ports on the Gulf of Mexico.

Corn and soybean conditions have been on a rapid skid this summer, falling to their worst conditions since the last U.S. drought of 1988. Crop specialists expect the U.S. Department of Agriculture to report another drop in conditions in its weekly crop report released later on Monday.

Commodity Weather Group (CWG) on Monday said recent rains had scaled down the driest areas to about 40 percent of the Midwest soybeans for much of this week.

But "the return of drier conditions to the central and southwestern belt will allow concerns to quickly return to at least half of the belt," CWG said.

Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) corn futures were up more than 20 cents per bushel, or 2.69 percent, and soybeans up 35 cents, or 2 percent, on Monday as investors bought on fears of a crop shortfall in the U.S. this year.

- Reuters

Midwest crops, fish, water supply punished by drought

(Reuters) - Temperatures heading north of 100 degrees Fahrenheit and scarce rain portended another blistering weekend for much of the U.S. Midwest, where the most extensive drought since 1956 is devastating crops, evaporating rivers, and threatening to push world food prices higher.

Violent storms brought rain to the extreme eastern portions of the corn belt in Ohio on Thursday night, but moisture was sparse further west.

The mercury soared in Missouri, where St. Louis was expected to reach 101 degrees F (38 Celsius) on Friday. Drought is afflicting nearly all of east-central Missouri, central and western Illinois and much of Iowa, all major corn and soybean producing states.

Farther west in Kansas City, temperatures were expected to move back over 100 degrees on Sunday as residents looked for ways to conserve water.

In Missouri, more than 600 farmers have applied for state funds to drill new wells, deepen existing wells or expand irrigation systems under a program for livestock and crop farmers severely hit by drought, Governor Jay Nixon said.

In Kansas, Governor Sam Brownback objected to federal officials releasing water from three Kansas reservoirs to keep the Missouri River navigable and protect endangered birds. A spokesperson said Brownback preferred to keep the reservoirs as high as possible to conserve water for farmers and communities drawing from them.

A year ago, the Missouri River flooded parts of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri, tearing up levees and roads and inundating fields.

After flooding last year, the Mississippi River is now so low that barge operators must lighten loads to avoid getting stuck.

FISH DYING, FOWL MAY BE NEXT

Extreme conditions are killing fish by the thousands in lakes and rivers and could pose a problem for migrating ducks and other waterfowl if the drought stretches into the fall, officials said.

Nationwide, fishing losses could run from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars depending on how long the drought lasts and how widespread it is, said Dan Stephenson, an Illinois state fisheries biologist.

Damage to corn, soybean and wheat crops is expected to push food prices higher in the United States and around the world. The United States is the world's largest exporter of corn, soybeans and wheat.

At the Chicago Board of Trade on Friday, corn for September delivery was up 2.2 percent, August soybeans up 1.7 percent and September wheat up about 1.6 percent.

Over the next week, soaring temperatures and little rain were in store for crops in most of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri, said Don Keeney, an MDA EarthSat Weather meteorologist.

"Crops will continue to deteriorate. The corn crop is already gone. and in the north and east, beans will improve some but not in the southwest," Keeney said.

Showers and cooler temperatures were expected to bring some relief to eastern parts of the Midwest on Friday, and on Saturday and Sunday in the northwest part of the region, Keeney said.

Farmers planted corn and soybeans earlier than usual this year after a warmer than normal winter, but conditions have rapidly deteriorated.

Trade sources said on Friday that Informa Economics had cut its estimate for 2012 U.S. corn yields per acre and production and its projection for U.S. soybean yields per acre and overall production.

Corn yield prospects in central and northeast Iowa were highly variable, scouts on a U.S. Midwest crop tour said.

Some plants have withered and died in the worst drought in 56 years, some have thin stalks and small ears, and others are mostly green, but visibly stressed.

All of Iowa was in severe drought or worse, according to the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor for the week ending July 24 issued by climatologists, and almost 30 percent of the nine-state Midwest was suffering extreme drought.

- Reuters

India calls drought panel meet early next week-farm min

NEW DELHI, July 26 (Reuters) - India will convene its specialist panel of ministers on drought early next week to review the monsoon situation, Farm Minister Sharad Pawar said, the first time since the drought year of 2009 as this year's rains fall below average.

In 2009, Asia's third-largest economy faced its driest monsoon season in nearly four decades and had to turn to international markets for sugar, sending prices soaring.

"An (empowered group of ministers) on drought is likely to meet on Tuesday, but I am seeking the availability of other ministers," Pawar told reporters on Thursday. "We will discuss the situation there."

The current monsoon season is 22 percent below average so far with the Prime Minister's Office already downgrading the weather office forecast of an average monsoon to below average.

- AlertNet

Drought worsens despite rains in Midwest

(Reuters) - The most extensive drought in five decades intensified this week across the U.S. Midwest and Plains states that produce most of the county's corn, soybeans and livestock, a report from climate experts showed on Thursday.

Almost 30 percent of the nine-state Midwest was suffering extreme drought, nearly triple from the previous week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor for the week ending July 24.

Conditions in the Midwest, which produces roughly three quarters of the corn and soybean crops in the world's largest producer and exporter, worsened despite the first measurable rainfall in a month in some areas.

More than 53 percent of the United States and Puerto Rico are in moderate drought or worse, a record-large amount for the fourth straight week in the Drought Monitor's 12-year history.

"The 2-plus inches (of rain) from southern Wisconsin to northern Indiana was able to only maintain status quo. Most other areas were not as lucky," said Drought Monitor author Richard Heim of the National Climatic Data Center.

"Pasture, rangeland, and crop condition continued to deteriorate from the Colorado High Plains to the Ohio and mid-Mississippi valleys, and from Oklahoma to the Dakotas," he said.

More than half of the country's pastures have been rated poor or very poor by the U.S. Agriculture Department, while the corn and soybean crops have wilted under scorching temperatures during their more vulnerable periods of pollination.

A Reuters poll this week estimated the U.S. corn yield at 130.8 bushels per acre, the lowest in 10 years.

"This drought is two-pronged," Fuchs said. "Not only the dryness but the heat is playing a big and important role. Even areas that have picked up rain are still suffering because of the heat."

Light showers overnight in the southwestern Midwest were too little too late to prevent further losses in the crops, while heat of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or higher was forecast to continue into next week, Andy Karst, meteorologist for World Weather Inc, said Thursday.

- Reuters

- Reuters

Horn of Africa still in crisis; more funds needed to deliver life-saving aid

More than 9 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance in the Horn of Africa where late and erratic rains have brought only partial relief to a region that was gripped by drought and famine a year ago.

“We’ve seen some improvement in the region because of humanitarian efforts but unless we continue with our response, any gains made since last year’s emergency could be wiped out because of continued drought and increasing food prices,” says David Orth-Moore, CRS’ regional director for East Africa. “Millions still need our assistance.”

Fews Net, USAID’s Famine Early Warning System, warns that many parts of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia will face food shortages in the coming months.

“We have received a great number of donations since the emergency peaked last July but more is needed to ensure that those affected don’t slide back to the emergency levels we saw in 2011,” Orth-Moore said, noting that CRS needs an additional $10 million over the next three years to help people affected by this food crisis. The problem is most acute in Somalia where thousands have been displaced due to drought and ongoing conflict.

CRS mounted an emergency response in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia in July last year, bringing critical assistance such as food, water and sanitation services to millions of people in need, including hundreds of thousands who fled Somalia’s famine to neighboring Kenya. Today, CRS continues to implement programs that help people regain their livelihoods and make them more resilient to future drought.

In Somalia, CRS has worked with local partners to provide health and nutrition services for displaced families, and is helping others to start small businesses so they will be better prepared for future droughts. In Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp, CRS has installed latrines and provided sanitation services and training to thousands of Somalis, while at the same time helping host communities that face the same problems recover their livelihoods. In Ethiopia, CRS has fed hundreds of thousands, and continues its critical work in watershed management to alleviate the effects of drought.

“Since the drought of 2011, CRS has continued to work in many of the affected communities to build resilience, working with farmers in improved crop techniques, in saving soil as well as in natural resource management,” Orth-Moore says. “The droughts in East Africa are becoming more frequent so we’re just working as hard as we can right now, in as many communities as we have funding for, to help people prepare.”

Earlier this month, seven aid agencies, including CRS, warned of a funding shortfall in Kenya’s Dadaab camp, the world’s largest refugee camp. The agencies warned that at least 200,000 people in the camp will face deteriorating conditions if $25 million isn’t raised.

For more information, contact Kim Pozniak at kim.pozniak@crs.org or 410-951-7281.

- ReliefWeb

Rains give mild relief to drought, grain prices tumble

Cows graze in a drought-damaged pasture as temperatures climbed to over 100 Fahrenheit (37.7 Celsius) in Jasper, Indiana, July 24, 2012. Credit: Reuters/ John Sommers II

(Reuters) - Welcome rains provided some relief to heat-stressed cities and worried farmers in the U.S. Midwest on Tuesday, but reports of failed crops, wildfires and other fallout from the worst U.S. drought in more than 50 years tempered any optimism.

The first soaking rains for weeks in parts of the northern Midwest sent U.S. corn and soybean prices sharply lower. But those prices still hover around record highs with weather forecasts for August indicating more heat is on the way.

More rain is forecast for the next 10 days across northern Midwest crop areas, while the southern half will remain dry, forecasters said. Forecasts also called for the central and southern Midwest to remain hot the next two weeks.

"One set of rainstorms does not put us out of danger in a drought," said agriculture economist Jim Robb. "We have already set huge declines in corn and soybean yields, even if it rains every day for the balance of the growing season."

At the Chicago Board of Trade, corn for September delivery closed 24 cents lower at $7.90 a bushel, down 3 percent, and August soybeans closed 49-1/4 cents lower at $16.49-1/4, down 2.9 percent. September delivery wheat closed 34 cents lower at $8.78-3/4 a bushel, down 3.7 percent on the day.

Only a quarter of the U.S. corn crop is now rated in good to excellent condition, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department. That is the worst condition at this key stage of the growing season since the 1988 drought which caused more than $40 billion worth of damage and created havoc in domestic and world food markets.

Crop scouts in Indiana and Ohio this week found fields of short, wilted corn stalks with no ears of grain. In a normal year, corn plants would be lush, green and six feet tall.

"This ground where they were looking, on a good year, is 200 bushels-plus," central Indiana farmer Stewart Major said on Tuesday, referring to his withered corn field. "It started losing yield around the first of July."

Severe damage has also been reported in Iowa and Illinois, which alone produce about a third of U.S. corn and soybeans. The knock-on effect from the losses is already being seen around the world since the United States is the world's single largest exporter of corn, soybeans and wheat.

Ken Ash, head of trade and agriculture at the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris, said that the United States should consider lowering its mandated targets for using corn to produce ethanol if drought reports worsen.

Last year, 40 percent of the U.S. corn crop was used to produce the fuel. Corn is also the basic livestock feed in many nations and has hundreds of other uses.

"At the moment, with what's on the table, we're calm but watching what happens," Ash said. "What's really important is whether it gets worse."

Markets now expect the smallest U.S. corn harvest in 10 years at 11.4 billion bushels, according to grain analysts polled by Reuters on Tuesday. That was down from initial forecasts for production over 14 billion bushels.

"Heat and dryness aborted kernels and population was really thin," Kyle Tapley, an agricultural meteorologist at MDA EarthSat, said after inspecting Ohio corn fields this week.

Soybeans mature later than corn, and the U.S. soy crop may escape the worst of the drought providing forecasted rains arrive in time. Analysts expect U.S. soy harvest of 2.9 billion bushels, which would be down just 5 percent from last year but the smallest in five years, according to the Reuters poll.

The USDA on Monday dropped its rating of the soybean crop for the fourth straight week, with 31 percent of the crop rated good to excellent. The biggest drops in condition ratings were in Illinois, Iowa and Kansas.

FIRES, HEAT STRESS CONTINUE

Weeks of triple-digit heat and prolonged dryness continue to take a toll in the Midwest and Plains states, one of the largest food producing regions of the world. Nebraska, Wisconsin, Indiana and other states have issued drought emergencies.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency due to the drought and severe heat which has so far been blamed for the deaths of 25 people in the state.

"Our farmers are suffering tremendous losses in crops and livestock, and we're seeing more heat-related deaths and emergency room visits, particularly among seniors," he said.

In north-central Nebraska, a wildfire had burned more than 58,000 acres of forest, grassland and farmland by Tuesday with at least 10 homes and other structures destroyed. A lightning strike started the Fairfield Creek blaze five days ago, the state's emergency management agency said, and fire crews were battling two new blazes on Tuesday.

The U.S. Agriculture Department has designated 1,297 counties across 29 states as disaster areas due to the drought, making the areas eligible for low-interest emergency loans.

Forecasters on Tuesday said the outlook for the northern Midwest over the next 10 days was milder and wetter than for the southern parts of the region.

"There's a better chance of rain from Minnesota into Michigan and into the eastern Ohio River Valley," Jason Nicholls, meteorologist for AccuWeather, said of the outlook for the next 10 days. But it will remain too dry in an area extending from Iowa to central Illinois and back into Missouri and Kansas, he added.

Temperatures will remain in the 80s to 90s degrees Fahrenheit (26 to 35 degrees Celsius) for the next two days, followed by a cooler trend, only to heat up again next week into the 90s to triple digits, Nicholls predicted.

- Reuters

Gift of the Givers: Relief Aid

         

YEMEN DROUGHT: A LOOMING CATASTROPHE
Greetings of Peace

Dear Recipients
It was exactly a year ago that we responded to the famine in Somalia.  One year on whilst still serving the Somali people we are now faced with an almost identical challenge in Yemen.

Political upheaval, clan conflict, random bombings, and now poor rainfall and a failed harvest resulting in escalating food prices and increasing levels of poverty has placed 10 million Yemenis on the brink of starvation.  Almost 300 000 Yemeni children (3 out of every 5) are severely  malnourished but the figures could be substantially higher.  Many children have died already with the chances of survival diminishing rapidly for those extremely ill unless international assistance is rapidly forthcoming.

Gift of the Givers has already commenced small scale feeding in the region but is preparing for a full scale emergency food and medical response with paediatricians, dietitians, emergency medicine specialists, primary health care nurses and general doctors.

Logistics around shipping, flights, ground support, hospital facilities, government co-operation, warehousing, internal transport, security (kidnapping of foreigners is common) and a range of related arrangements are fully in motion.

Medical volunteers wanting to be considered for this mission must email info@giftofthegivers.org or text 0828723811.  Our medical co-ordinators will respond to you timeously.

Those wanting to support the campaign can make deposits into Gift of the Givers, Standard Bank, Pietermaritzburg, Acc No. 052278611, Branch Code 057525.  Please send copy of deposit slip by fax or email with contact details.  Details toll-free on 0800786911.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHpjzFZS_fs  

Imtiaz Sooliman
Cell: 083 236 4029

Drought Grips the United States

Farmers across the United States hoped for rain in July 2012 as a drought of historic proportions parched key commodity crops, including corn, soybeans, and wheat. On July 11, the United States Department of Agriculture announced that more than 1,000 counties in 26 states qualified as natural disaster areas—the largest total area ever declared a disaster zone by the agency.
The extent of the damage to crops is depicted in this vegetation anomaly map based on data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite. The map contrasts plant health in the central United States between June 25 and July 10, 2012, against the average conditions between 2002 and 2012. Brown areas show where plant growth was less vigorous than normal; cream colors depict normal levels of growth; and green indicates abnormally lush vegetation. Data was not available in the gray areas due to snow or cloud cover. The image is based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a measure of how much plant leaves absorb visible light and reflect infrared light. Drought-stressed vegetation reflects more visible light and less infrared than healthy vegetation.
The most severe damage to crops appears to be centered on Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Crops in much of the upper Midwest—southern Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, southern Illinois, western Kentucky, and western Tennessee—also show signs of strain. States in the Mountain West that are in the midst of a busy wildfire season—Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado—have also experienced marked declines in the health of vegetation. The drought has been less severe in Iowa, a key corn-growing state.
This drought, like all extreme weather events, has its direct cause in a complex set of atmospheric conditions that produce short-term weather. However, weather occurs within the broader context of climate, and there’s widespread agreement among scientists that the climate is changing due to human activity.
According to a recent IPCC report on extreme weather, there is “medium confidence” that droughts have grown longer and more severe in some parts of the world since 1950, particularly in southern Europe and West Africa. However, the trends appear to be the reverse for droughts in central North America and northwestern Australia. Overall, the scientists who prepared the IPCC report assert a medium level of confidence in their ability to attribute observed changes in drought patterns to human activity.

• References

• Atlantic Wire. (2012, July 12). U.S. Declares the Largest National Disaster Area Ever Due to Drought. Accessed July 16, 2012.
• Climate Central. (2012, July 13). Midwest to Mid-Atlantic Bracing for Onslaught of Heat. Accessed July 16, 2012.
• NASA Earth Observatory. (2010, June 3). Global Warming.
• USDA. (2012, July 11). USDA Announces Streamlined Disaster Designation Process with Lower Emergency Loan Rates and Greater CRP Flexibility in Disaster Areas. Accessed July 16, 2012.
• U.S. Drought Monitor. (2012, July). U.S. Drought Monitor: July 10 (pdf). Accessed July 16, 2012.

1. Further Reading

2. Farm Futures. (2012, July 14). Satellite Imagery Reveals Widespread Farm Crop Stress. Accessed July 16, 2012.
3. IPCC. (2012, March 19). Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climage Change Adaptation. Accessed July 16, 2012.
4. NOAA. (2012). State of the Climate National Overview: June. Accessed July 16, 2012.
5. Peterson, T. (2012, July). Explaining Extreme Events of 2011 from a Climate Perspective. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory,using data provided by Inbal Reshef, Global Agricultural Monitoring Project. Caption by Adam Voiland.

Instrument: 

Terra - MODIS - NASA

UK announces extra £10m drought aid for West Africa

An additional £10m ($15m) will be provided by the UK for countries in West Africa facing the threat of drought, the government has announced.

Estimates suggest 1.5 million children in the Sahel region face starvation.

International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell urged other nations to follow the example of the UK, which has already committed £10m to the crisis.

"Britain will not sit back while children starve to death in the Sahel," he added.

In January, Oxfam and Save the Children said thousands of people in East Africa died needlessly from famine last year because the international community failed to heed early warnings.

Mr Mitchell urged his counterparts around the world to take action against the latest threat.
Tools and seeds

He said: "We took a lead in tackling the food crisis in East Africa and now is the time for others in the international community to step up."

The Department for International Development (DfID) said action was needed before the rainy season made large areas of West Africa inaccessible for aid workers in as little as four weeks' time.

It said latest support would fund nutritional treatment, health, water and sanitation for a further 31,000 children, and food for a further 170,000 people for six months.

The package will also provide animal feed and vaccinations to keep more than 280,000 farmers' livestock alive, as well as tools and seeds for 470,000 families.

According to DfID, a combination of conflict and poor harvests have left eight million people in need of urgent assistance and a further 10 million requiring additional support.

Oxfam has launched a £23m ($36m) emergency appeal to help reach more than a million of the most vulnerable in West Africa.

In March, the charity said malnutrition rates across Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and northern Senegal were hovering at between 10% and 15%, and in some areas had risen beyond the emergency threshold level of 15%.

In parts of Chad, Oxfam says, some villagers have been digging up ant hills to gather grain that the ants have stored.

The charity says drought, high food prices, severe poverty and regional conflict are causing the crisis.

Recent fighting between rebels and the army in northern Mali has caused more than 100,000 people to flee their homes - half of them crossing into Niger and other countries that are already hard-pressed.

- BBC

Drought Hits Spain's Wheat Crop

Grain crops in Spain are suffering after an unusually dry autumn and winter. The amount of rainfall has been just half of normal in key grain producing regions.

The top image shows the impact of the drought on plants throughout the country. The map was made with Normalized Vegetation Difference Index (NDVI) data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on the Terra satellite. It compares plant growth between April 6 and April 21, 2012, with average conditions for the same period. Brown indicates areas where plants are growing less vigorously than usual for this time of year. Gray indicates areas where data were not available.

The lower image shows a closer view of Andalucía, a region in southern Spain that produces almost all of the country’s durum wheat. Only about half the normal amount of rainfall fell in Andalucía between January and April. In the other key wheat producing states of Castilla y Leon, Castilla-La Mancha, and Aragón, rainfall has been low as well.

In an analysis released on May 10, 2012, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, projected Spain’s wheat production would drop by 20 percent, oats by 18 percent, and barley by 14 percent in comparison to last year. Overall, the USDA expects Spain will need to import 11 million metric tons of grain from other European countries because of the drought.

In late April, increasing rainfall has started to improve the situation, particularly in the northern half of the country. If rain continues to fall regularly throughout May, there’s a chance that barley and wheat yields could rebound.

Spain is not the only European country grappling with a weak wheat crop. Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, and other countries will likely see reduced yields as well due to dry weather. A cold spell at the end of February in Poland and Germany has also harmed crops.

References:
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. (2012). European Union Wheat: Dryness and Winterkill Reduce Prospects (pdf). Accessed May 10, 2012.
USDA Global Agricultural Information Network. (2012). Rain in Spain – Enough Already? (pdf). Accessed May 10, 2012.
USDA Global Agricultural Information Network. (2012). Still No Rain in Spain (pdf). Accessed May 10, 2012.
USDA Global Agricultural Information Network. (2012). No Rain in Spain Falling on the Plain (pdf). Accessed May 10, 2012.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, using data provided by Inbal Reshef, Global Agricultural Monitoring Project. Caption by Adam Voiland.

Instrument:
Terra - MODIS - NASA

Parts of England no longer in drought after heavy rain

Parts of England are no longer in drought following heavy rain in recent weeks, the Environment Agency has said.

Drought status has been lifted in 19 areas of south-west England, the Midlands and parts of Yorkshire following persistent rainfall.

The Environment Agency's weekly drought update shows that last month was the the wettest April on record.

But eastern and south-east England remain in drought because groundwater levels remain low.

Drought status has been removed for South Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, parts of Gloucestershire, parts of Hampshire, most of Wiltshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, West Midlands, Warwickshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire.

Following the review by the Environment Agency, parts of East Anglia - whose water is supplied by Cambridge Water, Essex and Suffolk Water and Veolia Water East - are also no longer considered to be in drought.

Under review
Hosepipe bans imposed by seven water companies on customers across south-eastern and eastern England remain in place and water restrictions are still in force in drought-affected regions.

However, England's biggest water company, Thames Water, said it would not need to apply for a Drought Order to further restrict water use.

But it warned that it was too early to lift the hosepipe ban imposed in April.

Richard Aylard, Thames Water's sustainability director, said: "Despite all the recent rain, we still have a serious groundwater shortage, and we could yet have a long, hot summer, so, much as we'd love to, it would be irresponsible for us to lift the hosepipe ban just yet."

The Environment Agency says it will continue to keep drought status under review and stressed that low groundwater levels remain a concern across England, with many as low as 1976 levels, when the country was gripped by a serious drought.

These are unlikely to return to normal levels before winter.

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said "A return to a long period of dry weather would increase the risk again."

About 50% of the public water supply in England is provided by groundwater sources - which are the areas facing temporary water restrictions.

If dry weather returns, this could lead to restrictions for farmers and environmental problems later in the year.

Until the beginning of April, England faced 18 months of very low rainfall which was the driest on record in some areas.

The Environment Agency's weekly water report for the week ending 11 May showed that many reservoirs are recovering but that groundwater sites remain extremely low in 42% of indicator sites across England.

This weekend is expected to be dry following heavy showers which brought flash flooding and rising river levels across the north of England.

Earlier this week, heavy rain across the country prompted a severe weather warning in parts of England and Wales.

While 19 serious flood alerts have been removed, flood warnings are still in place in certain parts of the North East and South West.

- BBC