environment
Kazakhstan's glaciers 'melting fast' The political stability of a key central Asian state could be imperilled by climate change, researchers say.
They say glaciers are melting so fast in parts of Kazakhstan that the livelihoods of millions of people will be affected.
They found the area's glaciers were losing almost two cubic kilometres of ice annually during the later 20th Century.
With regional temperatures rising, they believe climate change is responsible. [more]
Europe's harvest crisis Fear of severe effect on economies after heatwave devastates grain crops
The prolonged heatwave has devastated crops across Europe, leaving some countries facing their worst harvests since the end of the second world war.
The searing weather, especially in central and eastern Europe, has forced countries that usually export food to import it for the first time in decades. Several, including Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania, are experiencing rising food prices and the UN is warning this will have a severe impact on economies
According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), wheat output in the EU is expected to be millions of tonnes down on last year, with much greater losses in southern Europe than in the north. [more] |