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Agriculture & Environment: Water

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Here is a list of the latest articles

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Indian arsenic clean-up 'working well'

Researchers say that a chemical-free arsenic decontamination method is proving successful in an Indian village.

16 October 2009 | EN

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Benin farmers unite against effects of climate change

Local knowledge forms the backbone of a programme in Benin that aims to help farmers adapt to the effects of climate change.

13 October 2009 | EN

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Drought-hardy maize ready for field trials

South African researchers will soon begin field trials of a variety of maize capable of withstanding extreme dehydration.

6 October 2009 | EN

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Thirsty eucalyptus trees get the chop in Kenya

Farmers in drought-stricken Kenya are uprooting imported eucalyptus species that were planted near water sources.

30 September 2009 | EN

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Uniting drylands research could halt looming crisis

Scientists have urged the UN's desertification convention to unite research on land degradation and so convince policymakers to take action.

28 September 2009 | EN | ES | FR | 中文

Soil cracked from drought

Global warming could increase negative effects of El Niño

Global warming may affect the central Pacific El Niño, increasing its occurrence and leading to severe droughts in India.

25 September 2009 | EN

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Millions at risk of flooding as river deltas sink

River deltas across the world are sinking, leaving millions of people exposed to the risk of severe flooding.

24 September 2009 | EN

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More time to unravel the African monsoon

Research that has enrichened understanding of the African monsoon will be extended for another decade.

11 September 2009 | EN | FR

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Air pollution cutting China's 'vital' rain

China's air pollution could be damaging its agriculture as scientists find aerosols reduce the amount of light rain.

7 September 2009 | EN | 中文

SODIS water

Study pours cold water on solar disinfection

A study of SODIS, a much-advocated way of purifying water by sunlight alone, indicates that lab results do not yet hold up in the field

31 August 2009 | EN | ES

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'Snorkel' genes help stop rice drowning

Researchers have found two genes which help rice survive long-term flooding, raising the possibility of higher yields in flood-prone areas.

20 August 2009 | EN

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Asian irrigation must be revitalised, warns report

Unless old water systems are modernised, Asian countries will have to import "politically untenable" amounts of food.

18 August 2009 | EN

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Thirsty Indian farming depleting water resources

Six years of satellite data have shown that some Indian regions are using water supplies faster than they are being replenished.

13 August 2009 | EN

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Caution urged over cloud seeding

Cloud seeding to increase rainfall — proven to work in Australia — may not be the answer for all developing countries, warn scientists.

6 August 2009 | EN

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Mexico harnesses nanotech for clean water

A new research project headed up by Mexico will use nanotechnology and biotechnology for water purification.

29 July 2009 | ES

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New, cheaper method for extracting clean water

Countries wanting to test whether available water can be used for desalination may benefit from a new system that cuts both costs and time.

28 July 2009 | EN

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Sahel nations may lose maize by 2050

As African nations heat up, many could use maize varieties cultivated in hotter nations. Not so for a band of countries in the Sahel.

8 July 2009 | EN | FR

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Indian summer monsoon weakening, say scientists

Scientists have shown that the Indian summer monsoon is weakening, which could have adverse impacts on agriculture.

18 June 2009 | EN

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US asks to host its first UNESCO institute

A water resources institute in Virginia is set to become UNESCO's first US-based establishment.

25 May 2009 | EN

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Global warming may make monsoons harder to predict

Predicting monsoons will be harder because of global warming — and scientists say they will need better weather models.

13 May 2009 | EN