Fishworkers are often invisible in discussions aboutclimate change, yet they are at the heart of food security, feeding millions while struggling to feed their own families. Their fight for survival is not just about tradition or livelihood—it’s about justice. Shouldn’t their futures be at the forefront of climate justice debates?
The iconic Chinese fishing nets along the Kerala coast offer a picturesque scene that draws tourists from around the world. However, the fishworkers that have used them for centuries livelihoods are in peril. Credit: Aishwarya Bajpai/IPS
KOCHI, India, Oct 10 2024 (IPS)* – Every morning before dawn, fishworkers along the shores of Kochi, Kerala, head out to sea, casting their nets in the shadow of the iconic Cheenavala—the Chinese fishing nets that have become a symbol of their community.
In the first week of June 2024, searing heat in 80 countries broke temperature records – either monthly or for all time. Heatwaves scorched the US, the Mediterranean, Southern Europe, North Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Aswan in Egypt hit 50.9°C – an all time record – on the 7th June.
(UN News)* —Two bills before the Israeli parliament could put a halt to the lifesaving operations of UN Palestine relief agency, UNRWA, which has been indispensable and irreplaceable “more than ever” over the past year of war in Gaza, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday [].
“That’s why I have written directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express profound concern about draft legislation that could prevent UNRWA from continuing its essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” he said at the Security Council stakeout in New York.
Israel’s new displacement orders in northern Gaza threaten to force civilians into ever-shrinking areas and endanger aid operations.
9 October 2024 (The Norwegian Refugee Council)* — On 6 October 2024, Israel issued new mass displacement orders targeting the remaining Palestinians of the northern Gaza Strip, ordering them to leave to the south.
(UN News)* —The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has concluded an urgent visit to Syria, highlighting the plight of 250,000 people who have crossed into the country fleeing airstrikes in Lebanon.
“Families I spoke with had run for their lives and have no idea what tomorrow may bring after an exhausting, dangerous journey to the border. They arrive with few means and in need of urgent relief,”UNHCR chief Mr. Grandi said, visiting the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing.
The exodus comes as the conflict between Israel and Lebanon escalates, forcing Lebanese refugees to seek safety across the border.
Stockholm, September 2024 (UNCCD)* — Drought is on track to hitting three in four people globally by 2050. Around the world, scientists and practitioners have amassed a wealth of knowledge on what it takes to anticipate, prepare for, respond and adapt to drought.
At World Water Week, a hard look at the notions that stand in the way of drought resilience
So what is standing in the way of more drought-resilient countries and communities?
WMO report highlights growing shortfalls and stress in global water resources
7 October 2024 — (WMO)* — The year 2023 marked the driest year for global rivers in over three decades, according to a new report coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which signaled critical changes in water availability in an era of growing demand.
The last five consecutive years have recorded widespread below-normal conditions for river flows, with reservoir inflows following a similar pattern.
Nuclear weapons are the most destructive, inhumane and indiscriminate weapons ever created. Both in the scale of the devastation they cause, and in their uniquely persistent, spreading, genetically damaging radioactive fallout, they are unlike any other weapons.
.
A single nuclear bomb detonated over a large city could kill millions of people. The use of tens or hundreds of nuclear bombs would disrupt the global climate, causing widespread famine.
(UN News)* —The UN Human Rights Council held a dialogue on Friday [] to examine the nuclear testing legacy in the Marshall Islands, which representatives from the Pacific nation said has left their people with some of the highest rates of cancer globally.
Fishworkers are often invisible in discussions about climate change, yet they are at the heart of food security, feeding millions while struggling to feed their own families. Their fight for survival is not just about tradition or livelihood—it’s about justice. Shouldn’t their futures be at the forefront of climate justice debates?
Large portions of the West are now classified as being in “exceptional drought”, the most extreme drought category. Many major reservoirs have reached historic low levels and fire officials are warning that another devastating wildfire season has already begun. Hoover Dam, Arizona/Nevada border, United States. © David McNew / Greenpeace.
_scr.jpg?width=768&height=576)
Al-Nasser Street, in Gaza City. Credit: NRC
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 