It used to be a four-month period. Now fires are starting earlier and burning more intensely amid extreme conditionsIt’s only October, and 2021 has already been a horrendous year for wildfires in the American west. The Dixie fire leveled the town of Gr…
‘The water used to be up to your armpits’: birds starve as Turkey’s lakes dry up
Drought, rising temperatures and poor farming practices are taking a devastating toll on the country’s wildlife“If we stood in this spot a few years ago, the water would be up to your armpits,” says vet Isa Agit, standing on sun-hardened and cracked mu…
Paraguay on the brink as historic drought depletes river, its life-giving artery
Severe drought that began in late 2019 continues to punish the region while experts say climate change and deforestation may be intensifying the phenomenonIn the shadow of towering grain silos that line the bank of the River Paraná, South America’s sec…
The Dixie fire is almost out, but its inhospitable ‘moonscapes’ remain
Severe wildfires are making the recovery process for plants and animals more challenging, sometimes for years after the flamesAfter more than two months, the battle to contain the Dixie fire – a behemoth blaze that swept nearly 1m acres, leveling mount…
Climate crisis leaving ‘millions at risk of trafficking and slavery’
Droughts and floods forcing workers from rural areas, leading to their exploitation in cities, report warnsMillions of people forced to leave their homes because of severe drought and powerful cyclones are at risk of modern slavery and human traffickin…
An actor, two big bees and a lot of experts: a week spent tackling the planet’s problems
World’s largest conservation summit since Covid-19 brought 4,000 people to Marseille to showcase issues and solutions from coral reefs to land protection At times in Marseille’s early autumn sun, pre-pandemic life felt tantalisingly close at the world’…
Suckers, trash fish and the fight over food traditions in Oregon’s Klamath Basin
Fight to save fish tells story of how European food preferences clashed with tribal systems, shaping what we choose to protectPerry Chocktoot remembers the last time he ate a C’waam suckerfish. It was 1984. The fish was canned by a Klamath Tribes membe…
Colorado River drops to record low levels, slashing Arizona’s water supply
This year’s likely La Niña expected to extend drought, spurring further cuts.
Biggest US reservoir declares historic shortage, forcing water cuts across west
Officials issue first-ever declaration of tier 1 shortage at Lake Mead as it falls to lowest level since its creationOfficials have declared a dire water shortage at Lake Mead, the US’s largest reservoir, triggering major water cuts in Arizona and othe…
Heat, drought and fire: how climate dangers combine for a catastrophic ‘perfect storm’
The three conditions feed off each other to create a vicious cycle, demanding urgent actionNorthern California’s Dixie fire this weekend swelled to become the single largest fire incident the state has ever recorded, a mammoth that has leveled mountain…