Latest news with #ClimateVulnerabilityAssessment
Kuwait Times
a day ago
- Climate
- Kuwait Times
Water scarcity, floods drive displacement in Afghanistan
Limited infrastructure, endemic poverty leave Afghans with few resources to adapt to climate change AFGHANISTAN: Next to small bundles of belongings, Maruf waited for a car to take him and his family away from their village in northern Afghanistan, where drought-ridden land had yielded nothing for years. 'When you have children and are responsible for their needs, then tell me, what are you still doing in this ruin?' said the 50-year-old. Many of the mud homes around him are already empty, he said, his neighbors having abandoned the village, fleeing 'thirst, hunger and a life with no future'. Successive wars displaced Afghans over 40 years, but peace has not brought total reprieve, as climate change-fueled shocks drive people from their homes and strain livelihoods. Since the war ended between the now-ruling Taleban and US-led forces in 2021, floods, droughts and other climate change-driven environmental hazards have become the main cause of displacement in the country, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM). In early 2025, nearly five million people across the country were impacted and nearly 400,000 people were displaced, the IOM said in July, citing its Climate Vulnerability Assessment. The majority of Afghans live in mud homes and depend heavily on agriculture and livestock, making them particularly exposed to environmental changes. The water cycle has been sharply impacted, with Afghanistan again in the grip of drought for the fourth time in five years and flash floods devastating land, homes and livelihoods. 'Crop failure, dry pastures and vanishing water sources are pushing rural communities to the edge,' the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said in July. 'It's getting harder for families to grow food, earn income or stay where they are.' Experts and Taleban officials have repeatedly warned of escalating climate risks as temperatures rise, extreme weather events intensify and precipitation patterns shift. The country's limited infrastructure, endemic poverty and international isolation leave Afghans with few resources to adapt and recover — while already facing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises worsened by severe aid cuts. An Afghan Hazara farmer ploughs a potato field with a donkey at a village in Shibar district, Bamiyan province. Too little Abdul Jalil Rasooli's village in the drought-hit north has watched their way of life wither with their crops. Drought already drove many from his village to Pakistan and Iran a decade ago. Now they've returned, forced back over the border along with more than four million others from the two neighboring countries since late 2023 — but to work odd jobs, not the land. 'Everything comes down to water,' said the 64-year-old, retreating from the day's heat in the only home in the village still shaded by leafy trees. 'Water scarcity ruins everything, it destroys farming, the trees are drying up, and there's no planting anymore,' he told AFP. Rasooli holds out hope that the nearby Qosh Tepa canal will bring irrigation from the Amu Darya river. Diggers are carving out the last section of the waterway, but its completion is more than a year away, officials told AFP. It's one of the water infrastructure projects the Taleban authorities have undertaken since ousting the foreign-backed government four years ago. But the government has limited resources to address a crisis long exacerbated by poor environmental, infrastructure and resource management during 40 years of conflict. 'The measures we have taken so far are not enough,' Energy and Water Minister Abdul Latif Mansoor told journalists in July, rattling off a list of dam and canal projects in the pipeline. 'There are a lot of droughts ... this is Allah's will, first we must turn to Allah.' Hamayoun Amiri left for Iran when he was a young man and drought struck his father's small plot of land in western Herat province. Forced to return in a June deportation campaign, he found himself back where he started 14 years ago — with nothing to farm and his father's well water 'getting lower and lower every day'. The Harirud river was a dry bed in July as it neared the border with downstream Iran, following a road lined with empty mud buildings pummeled back to dust by the province's summer gales. Too much Taleban authorities often hold prayers for rain, but while the lack of water has parched the land in some parts of the country, changes in precipitation patterns mean rains can be more of a threat than a blessing. This year, rains have come earlier and heavier amid above-average temperatures, increasing flood risks, the UN said. A warmer atmosphere holds more water, so rain often comes in massive, destructive quantities. 'The weather has changed,' said Mohammad Qasim, a community leader of several villages in central Maidan Wardak battered by flash floods in June. 'I'm around 54 years old, and we have never experienced problems like this before,' he told AFP in the riverbed full of boulders and cracked mud. Eighteen-year-old Wahidullah's family was displaced after their home was damaged beyond repair and all their livestock were drowned. The family of 11 slept in or near a rudimentary tent on high ground, with no plans or means to rebuild. 'We're worried that if another flood comes, then there will be nothing left and nowhere to go.' — AFP
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Climate
- Int'l Business Times
From Drought To Floods, Water Extremes Drive Displacement In Afghanistan
Next to small bundles of belongings, Maruf waited for a car to take him and his family away from their village in northern Afghanistan, where drought-ridden land had yielded nothing for years. "When you have children and are responsible for their needs, then tell me, what are you still doing in this ruin?" said the 50-year-old. Many of the mud homes around him are already empty, he said, his neighbours having abandoned the village, fleeing "thirst, hunger and a life with no future". Successive wars displaced Afghans over 40 years, but peace has not brought total reprieve, as climate change-fuelled shocks drive people from their homes and strain livelihoods. Since the war ended between the now-ruling Taliban and US-led forces in 2021, floods, droughts and other climate change-driven environmental hazards have become the main cause of displacement in the country, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM). In early 2025, nearly five million people across the country were impacted and nearly 400,000 people were displaced, the IOM said in July, citing its Climate Vulnerability Assessment. The majority of Afghans live in mud homes and depend heavily on agriculture and livestock, making them particularly exposed to environmental changes. The water cycle has been sharply impacted, with Afghanistan again in the grip of drought for the fourth time in five years and flash floods devastating land, homes and livelihoods. "Crop failure, dry pastures and vanishing water sources are pushing rural communities to the edge," the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said in July. "It's getting harder for families to grow food, earn income or stay where they are." Experts and Taliban officials have repeatedly warned of escalating climate risks as temperatures rise, extreme weather events intensify and precipitation patterns shift. The country's limited infrastructure, endemic poverty and international isolation leave Afghans with few resources to adapt and recover -- while already facing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises worsened by severe aid cuts. Abdul Jalil Rasooli's village in the drought-hit north has watched their way of life wither with their crops. Drought already drove many from his village to Pakistan and Iran a decade ago. Now they've returned, forced back over the border along with more than four million others from the two neighbouring countries since late 2023 -- but to work odd jobs, not the land. "Everything comes down to water," said the 64-year-old, retreating from the day's heat in the only home in the village still shaded by leafy trees. "Water scarcity ruins everything, it destroys farming, the trees are drying up, and there's no planting anymore," he told AFP. Rasooli holds out hope that the nearby Qosh Tepa canal will bring irrigation from the Amu Darya river. Diggers are carving out the last section of the waterway, but its completion is more than a year away, officials told AFP. It's one of the water infrastructure projects the Taliban authorities have undertaken since ousting the foreign-backed government four years ago. But the theocratic government, largely isolated on the global stage over its restrictions on women, has limited resources to address a crisis long exacerbated by poor environmental, infrastructure and resource management during 40 years of conflict. "The measures we have taken so far are not enough," Energy and Water Minister Abdul Latif Mansoor told journalists in July, rattling off a list of dam and canal projects in the pipeline. "There are a lot of droughts... this is Allah's will, first we must turn to Allah." Hamayoun Amiri left for Iran when he was a young man and drought struck his father's small plot of land in western Herat province. Forced to return in a June deportation campaign, he found himself back where he started 14 years ago -- with nothing to farm and his father's well water "getting lower and lower every day". The Harirud river was a dry bed in July as it neared the border with downstream Iran, following a road lined with empty mud buildings pummelled back to dust by the province's summer gales. Taliban authorities often hold prayers for rain, but while the lack of water has parched the land in some parts of the country, changes in precipitation patterns mean rains can be more of a threat than a blessing. This year, rains have come earlier and heavier amid above-average temperatures, increasing flood risks, the UN said. A warmer atmosphere holds more water, so rain often comes in massive, destructive quantities. "The weather has changed," said Mohammad Qasim, a community leader of several villages in central Maidan Wardak battered by flash floods in June. "I'm around 54 years old, and we have never experienced problems like this before," he told AFP in the riverbed full of boulders and cracked mud. Eighteen-year-old Wahidullah's family was displaced after their home was damaged beyond repair and all their livestock were drowned. The family of 11 slept in or near a rudimentary tent on high ground, with no plans or means to rebuild. "We're worried that if another flood comes, then there will be nothing left and nowhere to go." An Afghan child rides his bicycle along a deserted street the village of Bolak at Chahar Bolak district, Balk AFP Infographic showing where Afghanistan faces significant challenges with water scarcity. These issues are worsened by the impacts of climate change and conflict. AFP An Afghan Hazara farmer ploughs a potato field with a donkey at a village in Shibar district, Bamiyan province AFP An Afghan Hazara man walks with his donkey, lugging water canisters along a dirt road in Shibar district AFP
Iraq Business
29-06-2025
- General
- Iraq Business
Needs and Vulnerabilities of Climate-Induced Migrants in Iraq
By John Lee. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has published a new study titled, "Understanding the Needs and Vulnerabilities of Climate-Induced Migrants in Iraq -- Climate Vulnerability Assessment." It concludes: This study explores the living conditions of climate-induced migrants in their locations of displacement to understand their main needs and vulnerabilities. Considering the displacement caseload continues to grow each year, it is important to develop programming and policy that addresses their needs and supports their integration within their new communities. By evaluating all known locations of displacement along the same, multi-sectoral criteria, the assessment supports evidence-based location selection and programme and policy design. According to key informants, the top needs of climate-induced migrants include livelihoods, shelter, and infrastructure and services. With respect to livelihoods, climate-induced migrants are struggling to afford food and other basic items in governorates like Al Basrah, Diyala and Baghdad. Regarding shelter conditions, climate-induced migrants often rely on irregular housing arrangements and reside on land without permission. Moreover, Al-Diwaniya Governorate hosts the largest share of climate-induced migrants in critical shelters. Lastly, access to basic services among climate-induced migrants appears more limited in central Iraq, most notably in Salah Al-Din, Kerbala, Babil, Diyala and Wassit. While climate-induced migrants share certain challenges with IDPs displaced by the 2014-2017 ISIL Crisis, they also have distinct needs, especially related to livelihoods and registration. Many climate-induced migrants engaged in agriculture and some continue to practice it after displacing. Therefore, climate-induced migrants require support to sustainably engage in agriculture and diversify their livelihoods. Moreover, climate-induced migrants face difficulties registering as IDPs due to varying eligibility criteria and practices between governorates, as well as broader skepticism toward the concept of climate-induced displacement. Therefore, further action is needed to address barriers to registration. Click here to download the full report. To browse our comprehensive library of reports on Iraq, click here. (Source: IOM)
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
LA Mayor issues executive order to expedite rebuilding in the Pacific Palisades
The Brief It's been over two months since the Palisades Fire first erupted. Debris removal efforts continue. On Friday, LA Mayor Karen Bass issued an emergency executive order created to expedite the rebuilding process in the Pacific Palisades. LOS ANGELES - It's been over two months since the deadly Palisades Fire first erupted and tore through parts of West Los Angeles. On Friday, LA Mayor Karen Bass issued an emergency executive order aimed at expediting the rebuilding process for impacted residents of the Pacific Palisades. Mayor Bass added the debris removal process continues moving at a historic pace. What we know A press release from the mayor's office said the order focuses on improving resilience against future climate-fueled disasters. City departments have been directed to streamline permitting processes, promote fire-resistant construction, and strengthen infrastructure resilience. See a detailed plan of action below. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety has been tasked with developing a fast-track permitting process for homeowners opting to rebuild with all-electric systems. Recommendations are expected within 60 days, focusing on eligible projects that incorporate sustainable technologies like heat pumps and solar power. Various city departments, including the Department of Building and Safety and the Department of City Planning, will provide recommendations within 90 days to encourage the use of fire-resistant materials. This initiative aligns with Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-18-25, which mandates ember-resistant zones in fire-prone areas. Efforts to enhance the resilience of utilities and public infrastructure are underway. The LADWP, Board of Public Works, and LADOT will report on potential improvements, such as undergrounding and electrification upgrades, to ensure power reliability during severe weather events. The Bureau of Engineering will collaborate with Recreation and Parks and the Los Angeles Public Library to incorporate climate and fire-resilient features into municipal facilities in the Palisades. The LADWP will assess the resilience of the city's water supply and management systems, focusing on their ability to support firefighting operations and potential upgrades to enhance system resilience. The Bureau of Engineering will report on strategies to strengthen hillside protections and control erosion, including nature-based solutions to maximize runoff infiltration. The Emergency Management Department, in coordination with the Los Angeles Fire Department, will evaluate existing wildfire preparedness systems and recommend improvements to evacuation routes and emergency notifications. City planning policies addressing wildfire and extreme weather risks will be evaluated for alignment. This includes the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, Climate Vulnerability Assessment, and other relevant plans. The Los Angeles Fire Department will work with community organizations to expand emergency response training and conduct wildfire preparedness sessions for residents in affected areas. Resilient Rebuild Advisory Committee A Resilient Rebuild Advisory Committee will be established to review and recommend rebuilding strategies. The committee will include community representatives, city officials, and stakeholders from various sectors. The Mayor's Office will collaborate with the State Insurance Commissioner to explore expanded insurance options for homeowners rebuilding wildfire-resilient homes. Mayor Bass emphasized the importance of rebuilding with future resilience in mind, ensuring that communities are better protected against climate-related threats. The executive order marks a significant step in the recovery efforts following the devastating January 2025 firestorm. The Source Information from a press release provided by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' office.
