drought News

Pennsylvania Prohibits Fires on State Lands as Dry Conditions Persist

Earlier this week, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) announced that it is prohibiting campfires on state park and forest lands until further notice. The department also encouraged Pennsylvanians to avoid burning on all lands amid extremely …

World’s Rivers Faced Driest Year in 30 Years in 2023: UN Weather Agency

The U.N. weather agency is reporting that 2023 was the driest year in more than three decades for the world’s rivers, as the record-hot year underpinned a drying up of water flows and contributed to prolonged droughts in some places. …

Drought Shrivels the Mississippi River and Threatens to Disrupt US Food Exports

Drought across the central US is shrinking the Mississippi River, sending barge rates soaring and threatening to roil shipments of everything from corn to gasoline. Dry conditions across the Ohio River basin, which feeds the Mississippi, have worsened already low …

Romanian Government Plans Drought Insurance Scheme for Farmers

The Romanian government plans to approve an insurance system for agricultural land as part of a series of measures to help farmers whose crops have been ravaged by drought, Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu said on Wednesday. Romania is among the …

Malawi Gets Insurance Payout of $11.2 Million for El Niño-Linked Drought Disaster

The Malawian government has received an insurance payout of $11.2 million for a crippling El Niño-linked drought that led the southern African nation to declare a state of disaster earlier this year. The payout was given to Malawi this month, …

Hot, Inland California Cities Face The Steepest Water Cuts With New Conservation Mandate

Facing a future of shortages, California is entering a new phase of water conservation: Cities and towns must meet new mandates ramping down use over the next 15 years — and some will be hit harder than others. Approved two …

Islamic Insurance Helps Cover Muslim Farmers Battling Climate Change

On his four and a half acres of land in central Pakistan, Izhar ul-Haq approaches farming as a science. He knows the precise acidity of the soil and the exact amount of brackish groundwater his crops can tolerate if mixed …

World Bank Eyes First ‘Drought’ Bond in Next 12-18 Months

The World Bank is looking to issue its first drought bond in the next 12-18-months and broaden its offering of catastrophe bonds supporting countries suffering devastation from storms and earthquakes, a senior executive at the lender said. The drought bond …

Zimbabwe Gets $32 Million in Drought Insurance From Agency of African Union

Zimbabwe received $31.8 million from African Risk Capacity, an arm of the African Union, as part of an insurance payout for the devastation the country suffered from an El Niño-induced drought. Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube told reporters on Thursday in …

The Era of Super-Wild Weather Is Already Here

Wildfires in Canada that burned continuously for over a year. Floods that brought Dubai to a standstill. Deadly heat blanketing the streets of New Delhi. The first half of 2024 has laid bare the catastrophic extremes that now characterize the …