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During a dialogue hosted by UNICEF with the Governments of South Africa and China, the importance of progressive policies, investment, and innovation in protecting water, sanitation, and sustainable energy systems from climate shocks was highlighted. Children and youth representatives from the two countries, along with partners from various sectors, participated in the discussions, which focused on climate-resilient rural sanitation and sustainable energy solutions. The dialogue aimed to share experiences, ideas, and lessons learned, with a particular emphasis on the impact of climate change on essential services and the well-being of children. South Africa and China shared their experiences in developing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) policies and financing models, and discussions centered on adapting to climate change, ensuring access to services for vulnerable populations, and promoting technological innovations. Opportunities for collaboration, including knowledge sharing, data monitoring, and the use of innovative technologies, were highlighted, with an emphasis on the role of community behaviors and social norms in informing WASH and sustainable energy solutions. UNICEF China presented its work in utilizing environmentally friendly technologies to improve services in arid climates, offering examples that could be adapted to remote areas of South Africa. The engagement of children and young people in climate action was emphasized, with a youth panel providing their perspectives and highlighting the need for their voices to be heard in developing climate-resilient sustainable solutions. UNICEF’s focus is on providing access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services for every child and advocating for a safe and sustainable climate and environment.

Source: Climate resilient solutions to protect and improve water, sanitation, and sustainable energy services top agenda at South Africa – China dialogue (unicef.org)

AWARe, an initiative launched by Egypt during the 27th UN Climate Change Conference, aims to address water and climate challenges, particularly in African countries. The initiative seeks to reduce water waste, improve water supply, and promote cooperative water-related adaptation. It emphasizes the interlinkages between water and climate action, with a focus on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 6 on water and sanitation. AWARe considers the protection of freshwater ecosystems, the linkage of national water policies to climate action, and the promotion of sustainable water management. It also aims to enhance cooperation over international river basins threatened by climate change and develop early warning systems for extreme weather events. The initiative will be implemented through partnerships with countries and organizations, guided by a steering committee, and supported by funding, capacity building, and technology transfer. Egypt, being part of the water-scarce Arab region, aims to address water challenges and promote sustainable water management practices through AWARe. Recommendations from an Interactive Dialogue on Water for Climate and Resilience included financial aid for vulnerable countries, establishment of a special fund for losses and damages, adoption of national mechanisms, and investment in adaptation and resilience measures.

Source: AWARe initiative spurring action on water issues, especially in Africa: Irrigation minister – Foreign Affairs – Egypt – Ahram Online

During a session titled “Maximizing the potential of the private sector in the Water & Sanitation Sector in Africa to reach Sustainable Development Goal 6,” held at the 21st International Congress of the African Water Association and 7th Faecal Sludge Management Conference in Abidjan, panelists stressed the significance of including rural residents in efforts to enhance water and sanitation services, despite economic challenges. The discussion, moderated by Jeanne Astrid Fouegue-Ngako de Foki, Division Manager for Water Coordination and Partnerships at the African Development Bank, called for comprehensive reviews of national water policies and a differentiated approach for multinational corporations and small enterprises. Panelists highlighted the disparities in service delivery between urban and rural areas and urged the African Development Bank to address these inequalities, emphasizing the need for water and sanitation infrastructure in rural regions. The session also emphasized the crucial role of governments in establishing supportive regulations for the private sector. Ralph Olaye, Director for Development and Projects at Eranove, highlighted that while Africa’s water sector requires a $40 billion annual investment, the private sector’s contribution currently stands at only 2%. The congress, themed “Acting for sustainable management of resources and access to water and sanitation for all,” aims to address Africa’s water and sanitation challenges and includes panel sessions, exhibitions, and project showcases organized by the African Development Bank.

Source: Equitable access to clean water and sanitation must reach rural Africa, panelists urge at the 21st African Water and Sanitation Congress | African Development Bank Group (afdb.org)

Vladimir Putin has ordered a state of emergency after 20,000 tonnes of diesel fuel spilled into a river inside the Arctic Circle.

The spill occurred when a fuel reservoir at a power plant near the city of Norilsk collapsed on Friday.

The plant is operated by a division of Nornickel, whose factories in the area have made the city one of the most heavily polluted places on Earth.

During a video conference on Wednesday that was broadcasted on television, Putin lambasted the head of the Nornickel subsidiary that owns the power plant, NTEK, after officials said the company failed to report the incident.

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Apr 03, 2020 (CDN Newswire via Comtex) — MarketsandResearch.biz has publicized a new report namely Global Water and Wastewater Treatment Market 2020 by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025 which embraces a comprehensive analysis of the developments, growth outlook, driving factors, and key players of the market. The report focuses on the global Water and Wastewater Treatment market trends, demand, share, consumption, and growth with competitive analysis and future forecast 2020-2025. The research highlights the latest industry data and future trends and allows you to identify the products and end users driving revenue growth and profitability of the market. The report further offers overall growth dynamics, market assessment, growth prospects across different regions, and competitive analysis.

Market Synopsis:

The market’s current and future growth drivers, restraints, challenges, trends, limitations, and opportunities are listed. The report describes the market information, dynamics, business plans, and segmentation such as type, application, and region. The study provides a detailed analysis of important parameters for top players including current development, gross margin, market share, future development strategies, product collection, product, and revenue. Then, it comprehensively analyzes global Water and Wastewater Treatment market size, regional and country-level market size, segmentation market growth, market share, sales analysis, the impact of domestic and global market players, value chain optimization, recent developments, strategic market growth analysis, and product launches.

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Researchers have developed a new carbon-based material that captures and destroys an animal c犀利士 oronavirus, a close relative of the SARS-CoV-2 virus strain that causes Covid-19.

Created by scientists and engineers from Cambridge in the UK and Ma’alot-Tarshiha in Israel, the ‘active virus filter’ – in the form of a thin carbon nanotube mat (‘TorStran’) – has the filtration and air permeability properties that allow it to capture free virus molecules and those contained in airborne aerosolised droplets.

According to its developers, both filtration and virus disruption take place at the same time, allowing the filter to reduce the risk of infection by removing contamination from the air. The team envisage it being particularly useful in confined situations such as emergency vehicles, hospitals, transportation, waiting areas and wards.

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