IRI Climate Digest
July 2000
Climate Impacts
Hazards/Threats
Eastern Africa
Millions of Kenyans continue to potentially face severe malnutrition as a result of lingering drought. Lack of significant
rains in the north, northeast and northwest has left those areas most vulnerable. Drought conditions continue in Burundi,
Uganda and Ethiopia.
(RW:USAID)
Story:
(DRO)
Central and South Asia
Much of the area is currently suffering from severe drought.
The countries most affected are Afghanistan, India, Iran, Pakistan,
and Tajikistan. The disaster has also spread over Mongolia, northern
and western China, Iraq, Syria and Jordan. Significant losses of
livestock and crops, and rapid deterioration of health and sanitary
conditions have already been reported and the prospect of large
population displacements has been raised.
Situation Reports:
(RW:OCHA)
(RW:UNDP)
Mongolia
Unusually high temperatures and below-normal rainfall during the summer months has stressed crops and grasslands in the
region and fueled wildfires. These conditions follow an extremely harsh
winter which killed over
2,000,000 livestock - a significant loss in a country where animal husbandry represents more than 30 percent of the GDP.
(Reuters)
United States Wildfire season in the western United States is
worsened by ongoing dry conditions which were initially
associated with La Niña. Some 70 large fires have burned
more than 747,110 acres of the West, according to the
National Fire Information Center.
(CNN)
Health
India At least 26 people in the Bombay area have died from
leptospirosis, a disease borne by rat and dog urine,
prompting a
widespread medical alert. Leptospirosis outbreaks are
worsened during
the monsoons, as flooding spreads the urine in drinking
water,
vegetation and mud. People wading through flooded streets
may become
infected if they have cuts on their body.
(EarthAlert)
Romania One man died from anthrax (Bacillus anthracis)
after eating
contaminated pork and several others are suspected of having
this
disease. Due to the drought in Romania, its worst in a
century, grazing
livestock are forced to feed in lower-lying areas where
anthrax spores
may have collected. A ban on the consumption of meat
products from
affected regions has been declared.
(ProMED)
United States In Indiana, a 3-year-old, and possibly a 29-year old,
died from Rocky
Mountain spotted fever, a tick-borne disease. The
last death due
to this disease occurred 12 years ago in the state. This year's warm
winter and wet
spring are believed to have increased the tick numbers.
(ProMED)
Water Resources
Turkey
The Turkish government was reported as taking steps to prevent an energy shortage in the coming winter. Due to severe
drought in the southeast, where the majority of the country's electricity is generated at hydro-electric facilities, water
resources have been adversely affected. Thermal power plants have been put into operation to reduce the demand
for water. (PMA)
Middle East
In Iran, Iraq, Syria and Jordan
severe drought conditions continue throughout the region as more regular rain is not expected (climatologically) until
boreal autumn. Water shortages are widely reported. Some river beds have been dry for months. Up to 12 million
people are said to be affected by a shortage of potable water as well water levels continue to decline. (OCHA)
Sri Lanka
Residents of Sri Lanka's capital Colombo were told to use water sparingly or face supply cuts to cope with drought
conditions according to reports. The government also asked people to conserve electricity as the country is heavily
dependent on hydro-electricity. (Reuters)
Agriculture
South Asia
Monsoon rains improved planting prospects in central and western India's primary oilseed and cotton regions.(JAWF)
Eastern Asia
In Manchuria widespread rains stabilized yield potentials for corn, soybeans and spring wheat, while in the North China Plain moisture supplies were increased but more rain is needed to eliminate regions affected by drought.
(JAWF)
Mexico
Dry conditions stressed summer crops across northeastern and north-central
Mexico, and also across the southern Plateau Corn Belt.(JAWF)
United States
Moisture shortages were eliminated in the eatern corn belt, and warm
temperatures accelerated crop development. Crop conditions suffered in the southern plains and southeast due to high temperatures and moisture shortages.(JAWF)
South America
A series of strong cold fronts brought frosts to central Argentina and
southern Brazil. The frosts reportedly had a major impact on coffee in the Brazilian state of Parana (8 percent of the national coffee production) raising
concerns for next year's flowering potential. In the states of Minas Gerais and
São Paulo the impacts were less severe on coffee. However,
other crops, which were already stressed in São Paulo state
due to severe drought, were further damaged..
(JAWF)
Fisheries
Peru
The Peruvian catch of small pelagics for the month of July
is expected to
exceed one million metric tons, bringing the total 2000 catch to
over 7.3
million metric tons, compared with approximately 4.5 million
metric tons
for the same period in 1999. Fishmeal prices have also
increased, in part
due to increased demand in the Chinese market, and lower than
normal
production in Chile. Due to delayed spawning, there is an
expectation for
the fishing ban which began on July 29 to last into early to
mid October.
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