Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 21 July 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# A new global study warns the world has just three years to drastically cut emissions to avoid the worst effects of climate change. The 2025 report of the Indicators of Global Climate Change reveals human-caused warming hit 1.36 degrees Celsius in 2024, dangerously close to the Paris Agreement’s limit of 1.5 degree Celsius. With only 25 nations updating climate plans ahead of COP30, experts urge urgent action. Scientists say without bold, global commitments now, the window to prevent irreversible climate damage is closing fast.

# At least 14 people have died in floods and landslides caused by days of torrential rain in South Korea. The country’s disaster management office says there are fears the death toll could rise as emergency rescue efforts continue, with 12 people reported missing. Across the region, nearly ten-thousand people have evacuated their homes since the downpour began on Wednesday, while more than 41-thousand households have temporarily lost power. President Lee Jae-myung ordered the worst-hit areas to be declared as special disaster zones and the government has launched a multi-agency recovery effort.

# And finally: Egypt is facing a growing water crisis due to its arid climate, limited water resources, and rapidly increasing population. The country of 114-million people depends heavily on the longest river in the world, the Nile, for fresh water. University of the Witwatersrand’s professor Thokozani Majozi says rising demand for water in Egypt and from upstream users means the Nile is no longer enough. Majozi says desalination offers a promising solution, adding that removing salts and impurities from seawater, desalination can provide a steady supply of clean water.

Stay tuned for more news………….