Water scarcity could shrink economies by mid-century: World Bank

Economies across large swathes of the globe could shrink dramatically by mid-century as fresh water grows scarce due to climate change, a recent report of the World Bank reads. The Middle East could be hardest hit, with its gross domestic product slipping as much as 14 percent by 2050 unless measures are taken to reallocate water significantly, the Washington-based institution said in a report. Such measures include efficiency efforts and investment in technologies such as desalination and water recycling.

Global warming can cause extreme floods and droughts and can mean snowfall is replaced by rain, with higher evaporation rates, experts say. It also can reduce mountain snow pack that provides water, and the melting of inland glaciers can deplete the source of runoff, they say. Also, a rise in sea level can lead to saltwater contaminating groundwater.

Fresh water shortages could take a toll on sectors from agriculture to energy."Water is of course at the center of life, but it's also at the center of economic activity," Damania said.
Water scarcity would not have the same impact worldwide, and Western Europe and North American economies would likely be spared, according to the World Bank models. But rising economies such as China and India could be hard hit, it said. In the Sahel belt that stretches across Africa below the Sahara, GDP could well dip some 11 percent with water scarcity. A similar impact would be felt in Central Asia.

But measures to reallocate fresh water could show gains in some regions. For example, a shift in allocation could lead to GDP growth of about 11 percent by 2050 in Central Asia.
About a quarter of the world's population, or some 1.6 billion people, live in countries where water already is scarce, according to the World Bank. Last month, 175 nations signed a deal reached last year in Paris to slow global warming and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Read more at: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/world-news/water-scarcity-could-shrink-economies-by-mid-century-world-bank_6808281.html

Economies across large swathes of the globe could shrink dramatically by mid-century as fresh water grows scarce due to climate change, a recent report of the World Bank reads. The Middle East could be hardest hit, with its gross domestic product slipping as much as 14 percent by 2050 unless measures are taken to reallocate water significantly, the Washington-based institution said in a report.

Read more at: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/world-news/water-scarcity-could-shrink-economies-by-mid-century-world-bank_6808281.html?utm_source=ref_article

Economies across large swathes of the globe could shrink dramatically by mid-century as fresh water grows scarce due to climate change, a recent report of the World Bank reads. The Middle East could be hardest hit, with its gross domestic product slipping as much as 14 percent by 2050 unless measures are taken to reallocate water significantly, the Washington-based institution said in a report.

Read more at: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/world-news/water-scarcity-could-shrink-economies-by-mid-century-world-bank_6808281.html?utm_source=ref_article

Jane Goodall To Cincinnati Zoo Director: ‘I Feel So Sorry For You’

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jane-goodall-harambe_us_574f5f2ae4b0eb20fa0cbbbb?section=india

Jane Goodall has weighed in with an empathetic message for Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard, following criticism of the zoo’s decision to shoot an endangered gorilla after a child fell into the animal’s enclosure.
“I feel so sorry for you, having to try to defend something which you may well disapprove of,” the British primatologist wrote to Maynard in a letter dated Tuesday that was shared by her Jane Goodall Institute.
The letter reads:

Dear Thane,
I feel so sorry for you, having to try to defend something which you may well disapprove of. I tried to see exactly what was happening — it looks as though the gorilla was putting an arm around the child — like the female who rescued and returned the child to the Chicago exhibit.
Anyway, whatever, it is a devastating loss to the zoo, and to the gorillas.
How did the others react? Are they allowed to see, and express grief, which seems to be so important.
Feeling for you,
Jane

A 3-year-old boy crawled into the gorilla enclosure and caught the eye of a 17-year-old western lowland silverback named Harambe on Saturday. Harambe was ultimately fatally shot by the zoo’s staff after he picked up the boy.
Maynard said at a press conference that the zoo did not use tranquilizers because the drugs would take too long to take effect.
Maynard said while the zoo was “devastated” by Harambe’s death, “we were very glad the little boy is OK. That is one happy thing in a dangerous and bad story.”
“Naturally, we did not take the shooting of Harambe lightly, but that child’s life was in danger,” Maynard added. “And people who question that, or are Monday morning quarterbacks or second-guessers don’t understand that you can’t take a risk with a silverback gorilla.”

In her letter, Goodall referred to a famous incident from 1996 at the Chicago-area Brookfield Zoo that had vaguely similar circumstances — but a much different ending.
At that time, a 3-year-old boy fell into the zoo’s gorilla enclosure and was knocked unconscious. Binti Jua, an 8-year-old western lowland gorilla, gently scooped up the boy and tended to him before carrying him to the exit door where zookeepers intervened.
Zookeepers told CBS Chicago at the time that it was fortunate the child was unconscious when he fell, as the gorilla may have perceived a distressed or crying child as threatening.