“Doha has just three days’ supply”: are water shortages the biggest threat to the Middle East?
Those who visit the Middle East and North Africa from more temperate climates are often struck with how hot and dry the region is, and how scarce its rainfall. Some wonder why cities became established here, and how they continue to exist despite the lack of renewable freshwater.
These concerns are not entirely groundless. Yet these cities’ existence is not in any way miraculous: it’s merely an example of how one can strike an unsustainable balance between growth and limited resources.
The cities in this region may appear unusual today, but like most around the world, most of them grew out of settlements that had access to enough water to sustain life. This is not to say the region’s cities only grew around water sources: have other favourable geographical characteristics, too.
The Friday multiple-satellite launch was its 120th successful space mission and 74th satellite launch. India’s space agency declared a hectic launch schedule of 28 satellites, belonging to seven countries, within the next three years.
The council voted down a rate hike in June, but has decided to put the issue back on the table because the water department is facing a $27 million deficit. The rate increase would be 7.5%, which would add a little more than $5 a month to residents' water bills.
While reports in Canada have been minimal, a woman in Renfrew, Ontario was recently told she would have to avoid direct sunlight for three years after being badly burned by wild parsnip, a close relative of giant hogweed.
Wild parsnip looks similar, but is smaller and has yellow flowers
“The fundamentals that support growth in agricultural commodities are different from those of other commodities for a number of reasons, the main one being that people have to eat. You don't need gold bullion. It's great to have some to protect yourself from the actions of central bankers, but you don't need gold to live. Everybody needs agriculture, so agriculture tends not to correlate with other assets like stocks or bonds. Those considerations are important.
“You can protect yourself relatively easily through diversification by location and by subsector. When it comes to agriculture, definitely don't put all your eggs in one basket. If you're buying farmland, for example, don't just buy in one location. Do some research and find out where land is still reasonably priced, because many markets have experienced dramatic valuation increases in agricultural land in the recent past.”French farmers vow to step up protests
PARIS — French farmers, saying falling prices are driving them to the point of bankruptcy, threatened to step up blockades of cities, roads and tourist sites on Wednesday as the government prepared to unveil emergency aid to help them.
Farmers have dumped manure in cities, blocked access roads and motorways and hindered tourists from reaching Mont St. Michel in northern France, one of the country’s most visited attractions.
Overnight Tuesday, farmers blocked the A1 motorway, a key artery between Paris and northern France, with around 500 tractors.
The head of the powerful FNSEA farmers’ union, Xavier Beulin, said he expected the protests to continue, adding they “could be extended to other regions on Wednesday.”
Farmers have dumped manure in cities, blocked access roads and motorways and hindered tourists from reaching Mont St. Michel in northern France, one of the country’s most visited attractions.
Overnight Tuesday, farmers blocked the A1 motorway, a key artery between Paris and northern France, with around 500 tractors.
The head of the powerful FNSEA farmers’ union, Xavier Beulin, said he expected the protests to continue, adding they “could be extended to other regions on Wednesday.”
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