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New York, NY, United States (AHN) – Designer Stella McCartney doesn’t use leather on the runway. She is staunch supporter of Meatless Monday. And now, the famous designer and daughter of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, uses her love of the environment and animals, in her new sunglasses.

The stellar Stella shades are made with injected bioplatsics, comprised of 54 percent castor seed oil, a renewable resource, which takes very little pesticides to grow.

The collection features two retro plastic frames and three wire-rimmed styles.

Prices start at $225 and will be in stores this spring.

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Dhaka, Bangladesh (AHN) – Climate vulnerable countries have developed a roadmap and action plan aiming to reach a consensus to stand united at negotiations at the Durban climate conference scheduled to take place in two weeks.

The two-day international Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) ended in the Bangladesh capital on Monday. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries that will bear the brunt of climatic calamity for no or little fault of their own.

Officials from 19 countries and observers from eight countries expressed their concern that climate change is causing political, economic and social instability exacerbating insecurity for the people of the poorest countries.

Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said climate change constitutes a serious injustice and must be acknowledged by the global community. “We are bearing the brunt of the damage though we made negligible or no contribution to the menace,” she remarked.

She was worried by the cost of climate change, estimated at $130 billion, and that it would increase if adequate and timely steps were not taken.

Hasina said that she has not seen any clarity on how the global community would raise funds in the period between 2012 and 2020 towards operation of the Green Climate Fund.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who arrived in Dhaka on Sunday, was the keynote speaker. He made an international call for world leaders, either of developed or underdeveloped countries, to unite to face the climate-change challenges and save the planet for the common good.

Ban said: “We are in the middle of a serious economic crisis. But even in these difficult times, we cannot afford delay. We cannot ask the poorest and the most vulnerable to bear the costs.”

Quoting Hasina’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly earlier this year, Ban said a one-meter rise in sea level could make 30 million Bangladeshis homeless.

He commended the lead taken by Bangladesh to follow a pro-development, low carbon path and establishment of a Climate Change Trust Fund and a Resilience Fund.

The Forum, one of the new voices on climate change, plans to take advantage of the positive momentum sparked by the Copenhagen and Cancun meetings of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The group includes small island states vulnerable to extreme weather events and sea level rise, those with immense spans of low-lying coastline such as Vietnam and Bangladesh, and the dry nations of East Africa.

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Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh (AHN) – A new global ranking of climate change finds most Asian countries including Bangladesh, India, Philippines, Vietnam and Pakistan will face the greatest risks to their populations, ecosystems and business environments.

The index rates 16 countries as “extreme risk,” including nations that represent new Asian economic power and possess significant forecasts of growth. The highest risk categories are major contributors to the ongoing global economic recovery and are vital to the future expansion of Western businesses in particular, which worries environmentalists.

The new Climate Change Vulnerability Index released by global risks advisory firm Maplecroft recently enables organizations to identify areas of risk within their operations, supply chains and investments.

According to Maplecroft, the countries with the most risk are characterized by high levels of poverty, dense populations, exposure to climate-related events; and their reliance on flood- and drought-prone agricultural land.

The principal environmental analyst at Maplecroft, Dr Matthew Bunce, said that over the next 30 years the countries’ vulnerability to climate change will rise due to increases in air temperature, precipitation and humidity.

Maplecroft rates Bangladesh as the most at risk due to extreme levels of poverty and a high dependency on agriculture, while its government has the lowest capacity of all countries to adapt to predicted changes in the climate.

In addition, Bangladesh has a high risk of drought and the highest risk of flooding. This was illustrated in October 2010, when 500,000 people were driven from their homes by flood waters created by storms.

However, despite the country’s plethora of problems, the Bangladesh economy grew 88 percent between 2000 and 2008 and is forecast by the IMF to grow \up to 6.2 percent over the next five years.

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Mombasa, Kenya (IRIN) – Flash floods in coastal areas of Kenya have claimed several lives, damaged schools and destroyed sewage systems, leading to fears of disease outbreaks, according to officials and local residents.

Affected areas include Changamwe, Kisauni, Kongowea and Likoni estates in Mombasa, where flood waters have submerged large areas, making it difficult for residents to access clean water. Pit latrines have also been submerged in Ukunda in Kwale County, which neighbors Mombasa.

Residents depending on boreholes for their water supply have called on the government to intervene after sewage found its way into their source of clean water.

“Even water from the tap is smelling of sewage, we just don’t know what to do,” Halima Hassan, a resident of Likoni, told IRIN. “We fear we might start contracting diseases if nothing is done.”

John Ndung’u, the public health officer in Changamwe area, said public health officers were on high alert. “My colleagues from other districts around the region and I have been visiting public institutions, especially schools and villages in severely affected areas, to ensure that sanitation is good,” he said.

Piles of filth and waste from the several open dumpsites in the town had also been swept by rain water into residential areas.

Seven people have died since the heavy rains started pounding the area in early October and four others were seriously injured when their public van was swept away by flood-waters and plunged into Rare River, Kilifi County.

Cut off

Rescue personnel from the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) and the local administration have been assisting those affected by the floods.

The KRCS coordinator in Kilifi, Samuel Kamau, urged residents to be careful when crossing flooded rivers.

“These flash floods should not be taken lightly,” he said. “The locals need to be advised that they’re coming with a lot of force.”

The floods have also damaged several schools, forcing respective administrations to send students home. At Vitengeni Baptist Secondary School in Ganze, more than 300 students had to spend the night in the cold while others were sent home after the school’s dormitories and classes collapsed due to the heavy rains.

Vitengeni school deputy, Charles Charo, said: “It was just by God’s grace that the building collapsed during the day, at a time when the students were going on with their lessons… but it could have been a tragedy if it had happened at night.”

Many roads have been cut off, notably in Wundanyi and Taita-Taveta districts.

The main road from Mombasa leading to Tanzania became impassible on- October after a section in Mangwei near Msambweni, Kwale County, collapsed, leaving several trucks stranded.

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Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines (AHN) – As Typhoon Nalgae moved out of the Philippine area of responsibility, it left 18 people dead in Bulacan and many towns in central Luzon provinces flooded.

According to reports, most of the dead were either electrocuted or killed by falling trees.

Nalgae hit the Philippines on Saturday with winds of 140 kilometers per hour (87 miles per hour), and moved towards Vietnam. It is the second typhoon to hit the southeast Asian nation after Nesat battered the country on Tuesday, killing at least 52 people.

The country is still recovering from the two typhoons and a third one is forecast to be heading for the country after the weather bureau spotted another low pressure area.

Worst hit by the floods are the provinces of Pampanga and Bulacan with many towns chest deep in water. The flooding was caused by the Tuesday downpour and the release of water by dam operators to prevent bursting of the dikes. The government expects the flooding in central Luzon to last for three more days.

Many residents had to stay on their rooftops or second floors. Many of them refused to transfer to overcrowded schools converted temporarily into evacuation centers.

Affected residents requested ready-to-eat food and water. The Social Welfare Department has sought assistance from United Nations agencies to send food, water, medicine and emergency care.

The government estimates cost of the damage from Nesat alone at $182 million (PHP 8 billion). Affected directly were 2.7 million residents from 34 provinces of which 165,000 are staying in 500 evacuation centers.

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Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – Sea-level rise could wipe out California’s coastline over the next century, causing major economic losses to the state’s tourism industry.

Experts from San Francisco State University revealed last week that sea level in California has risen 8 inches in the last 100 years and could climb another 55 inches by 2100 as increasing global temperatures cause seawater to expand and ice sheets to melt. Beach communities along California’s coastline would be at risk of being submerged. Affected areas would include Carpinteria, Malibu, Venice, and Ocean Beach in San Francisco, and Torrey Pines State Reserve near San Diego.

The disappearance of these beaches are projected to cause California economic losses of anywhere from $600 million to $1 billion.

Researchers used three scenarios to make their predictions: a rise of three feet, a rise of 4.5 feet, and a rise of 6.5 feet. The group estimated the economic loss from flooding and beach erosion. A rise of 4.5 feet by 2100 could cost Venice Beach up to $440 million in tourism and other revenue, according to the study. That number could reach nearly $500 million up the coast in Malibu’s Zuma and Broad beaches.

Economic losses could be greatly reduced if authorities efficiently plan for sea-level rise. According to the study, the cost of protecting the shoreline by adding sand to beaches runs only in the tens of millions locally and would prevent beach erosion caused by emergency sea walls in some locations. “Managed retreat” — the process of moving cities inland from encroaching shores — would likewise reduce costs and preserve beaches for recreation and wildlife habitat.

The research underscores the pressing need for beach communities to adapt to the rising waters by building sea walls, replenishing beach sand or pushing homes and structures away from the shoreline. The researchers hope that their findings will guide policymakers as they consider future oceanfront development.

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Karachi, Pakistan (IRIN) – Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh is facing disaster once more with heavy rains over the past five days, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). “Two million people in 15 [out of 23] districts have been affected,” PDMA Director of Operations Sajjad Haider told IRIN. He also said crops had been devastated.

Eighty-five people are reported to have died and provincial authorities have announced disaster relief measures, including compensation packages for victims. Haider said crops had been devastated.

A local official in Badin District in southern Sindh, who asked not to be named, said: “The international humanitarian agencies are likely to be called in soon.”

“My sugarcane crop, which was ready for harvesting, has been lost. I am still recovering from last year’s losses of crops and livestock. Who knows what will happen now,” said Majeed-ud-Din, 40, from his village in Khairpur, one of the worst-hit districts.

Haider said most deaths had been caused by collapsing houses or electrocution, and troops had been asked to “stand by”.

The Sindh chief minister has visited the affected areas and funds have been released for rescue and rehabilitation work.

While the monsoon season runs from July to September, rains are generally heaviest in July and August. For now the Meteorological Office is continuing to predict further rains across most parts of the country.

Other regions affected

These rains have already caused significant damage and loss of life in other regions too.

In the remote Kohistan District of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa Province (KP) flash floods triggered by heavy rain last week are now confirmed by District Coordination Officer Syed Imtiaz Ali Shah as having killed at least 33 people. Media reports put the death toll at almost double that figure, with dozens of houses including an entire village swept away by torrents pouring down hillsides.

Flash floods have also caused significant damage in at least five districts of the southwestern province of Balochistan, forcing people to flee from low-lying areas to higher ground in a bid to save lives. “Some houses have been badly damaged and property swept away. After last year’s experience we were willing to take no risks, so hundreds of us have moved to higher ground,” Shahzeb Baloch, a goat herder, told IRIN from Jaffarabad District.

“A survey has been conducted to determine the losses caused by the heavy rains in Loralai, and a state of emergency has been declared and teams of doctors, along with medicines, are arriving at the rain-affected areas,” Sohail Rehman Baloch, deputy commissioner of Loralai District, told the media.

Adnan Khan, PDMA spokesman in KP, told IRIN “meetings are being held” to decide on necessary measures.

The flooding has brought back memories of the 2010 floods, which affected 18 million people, according to UN agencies. Sindh, where 7.2 million people were affected, was the worst hit.

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Hola-Mwingi, Kenya (IRIN) – In the drought-affected lower eastern and coastal regions of Kenya, accessing water is an arduous and sometimes dangerous task.

“In some places, you have six people lining down [forming a human ladder] into a well to draw water,” Henry Obino, the Tana River District Commissioner, told IRIN.

“The wells are 30-35 feet [9-10.5m] deep now.”

Falling water table levels due to failed past rains have meant that water sources have not been replenished, forcing residents, who live far from the Tana River, Kenya’s longest, to dig wells deeper, despite the risk of collapse.

On 7 August, a well collapsed in the local Konekaliti area, killing one person, said Obino.

In the neighboring semi-arid region of Mwingi, drought conditions are exacerbating water scarcity and raising the fear of disease outbreaks.

In the Ngomeni area, about 50 kilometers from Mwingi Town, there is a rain-fed reservoir, formed by a man-made dam, which usually serves hundreds of households up to 15 kilometers away. Now it is drying up for the first time in years, reduced to a shallow pool of murky green water.

Relatively little water now reaches the taps and troughs – fed by pumps and an overflow system – that are normally used for jerry cans and livestock to avoid direct contact with the reservoir.

“We are now letting people get the water directly from the reservoir,” explained Mutua Komu, who collects user fees on behalf of a local water management committee.

“While we don’t let the animals go down into the reservoir, imagine 100 people getting in to fetch the water, which has already become very dirty due to a lack of rain. The contamination is unimaginable,” said Komu.

“We rely on this water for everything in Ngomeni: for the schools, the hospital, and the town. The private boreholes charge a lot of money,” he said.

Kikwele Mutua, who is in his late 50s, told IRIN he fetched between 50 and 60 20-liter jerry cans, making about 12 trips to the dam daily, to supply the local Ngomeni Secondary School.

“My two children are in the school and this helps pay their school fees,” said Mutua.

Along the Mwingi-Garissa road, scenes of families scooping out sand from dry river beds in search of water are common – as are long queues at government water kiosks in Mwingi Town.

About 8,000 people use the water kiosks daily, according to the Kiambere-Mwingi Water and Sanitation Company, paying a subsidized KSh2 (US$0.02) per 20-liter jerry can. Water vendors charge a costly KSh10 ($0.10) a jerry can.

The water scarcity and consequent access risks are replicated elsewhere.

In Bamba Division, in the coastal area of Kilifi, for example, residents are trekking farther to access increasingly dangerous water points.

Salama wa Kazungu told IRIN she walks on average two hours each way for a 20-liter jerry can of water with her youngest child, an eight-month-old baby, strapped to her back.

“Sometimes we do not have rain here in a year,” she said.

Humans vs animals

Drying-up water sources in parts of the Tsavo National Park have meant that wild animals are competing with humans for the available resources in parts of Bamba.

“You know how elephants are, they drink and bathe in the water,” Stephen Muanga, Bamba district officer, told IRIN. “Water is an issue given that if it does not rain, then there is no water here.”

Even where water is not that far off, such as in the coastal Tana River Delta District, transporting the water to where it is needed is a problem.

According to Elias Gitonga Kithaura, the district commissioner, despite some 2-kilometer canals being constructed to help the Tana River retake its course, which changed at the Matomba brook in early August 2008 , there are challenges.

“Last week there was no problem, but now people in Tarasaa Division are complaining that the water is stagnant,” said Kithaura, adding that this had been caused by falling river levels.

Tarasaa has a large settled population as well as schools and a hospital.

The meandering of the river is also raising fears of it coming into town at the Garini area, along the road to Lamu.

“Blocking the river is expensive,” Kithaura said. “Water is not a problem here; the problem is taking it where we want [it].”

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Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (AHN) – British Columbia sent 56 more firefighters over the weekend to Ontario to help douse the 141 forest fires in the Canadian province.

BC Fire Information Officer Alyson Couch said BC was responding to a request for more manpower as over 500 firefighters from different Canadian provinces expect more fires caused by lightning.

Since the forest fires broke in northern Ontario, BC had deployed a total of 759 firefighters to Ontario, spread in eight waves.

The 56 left on Saturday. Those deployed in other Canadian provinces stay an average of 19 days in their out-of-province assignments, but they could be recalled anytime if fires would break in BC.

Of the 141 ongoing forest blazes in Ontario, 36 new ones were sparked by lightning strikes. The fires have razed more than 589,000 hectares (1.45 million acres).

The forest fires in Ontario had prompted the nearby Manitoba government to issue no-travel advisories to residents bound for Ontario and to prohibit campfires in Manitoba.

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Austin, TX, United States (AHN) – The ongoing drought has affected at least fourteen states, including Georgia, Arizona, Texas, Florida, and Oklahoma.

The dry and rainless weather ironically comes at about the same time that parts of the United States are also suffering from floods and tornadoes. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration blames the extreme weather phenomenon to the strong La Nina, which shut off the southern source of moisture.

La Nina is a weather pattern characterized by an abnormal cooling of the Pacific Waters. It usually comes after El Nino, which is marked by an abnormal warming of the Pacific Waters.

As a result of the heat and dry weather, farm animals in Georgia could barely eat, while crops such as cotton and corn are drying up due to lack of rain.

In Florida, authorities have placed severe water restrictions, while in Arizona, ranchers are selling off entire herds because they could not feed the animals.

The worst hit is Texas, where the excessive heat is exacerbated by high winds arefanning wildfires. As a result of the rainless and dry weather, the Department of Agriculture declared all the 243 counties in Texas as natural disaster areas. Farmers qualified for different levels of federal relief.

The DA estimates crop losses to exceed $3 billion in Texas as over 30 percent of the wheat fields in the state are feared to be lost. The five rainless months, which started from February through June, broke a Texas record set in 1917, according to a state climatologist.

To make matters worse, most of the states that are suffering from drought are also grappling with budget deficits and high unemployment rates, creating a harsh environment particularly for residents who rely mainly on agriculture for their livelihood.

Experts warned that the biggest impact of the drought would be the shrinking of cattle herd in the U.S. To address this potential problem, the DA’s Farm Service Agency released more than $75 million assistance to ranchers nationwide, although the bulk went to Texas, New Mexico, and Florida.

Studies have shown that the climate change is the cause behind the doubling of the mortality rate since 1955 of trees in the U.S. Researchers pointed out that since the majority of the dying trees are small ones, the overall rise in tree mortality could not be attributed to ageing of large trees.

The researchers linked the trees’ death to a rise in the mean yearly temperature of western U.S. at a rate of 0.3 to 0.4 degree Celsius every 10 years from the 1970s until 2006. In some areas, the increase was almost by 0.5 degree C.

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