Climate Change

Children play in the surf at Kite Beach with the Burj al Arab, the Dubai Marina and a man flying a powered parachute in the background in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 8, 2016.

To beat the heat, beach lovers in Dubai head to the shores at night

The beaches in Dubai are equipped for the adjustment. They have floodlights, late-night dining options, games and rides. And the lifeguards remain on duty into the wee hours of the morning.

To beat the heat, beach lovers in Dubai head to the shores at night
Air quality levels have been bad in Accra since December as harmattan season kicks in across Ghana. The data coming in shows the situation is not improving.

Hazy skies over Accra: Harsh harmattan season in Ghana leads to health hazards, poor air quality

Hazy skies over Accra: Harsh harmattan season in Ghana leads to health hazards, poor air quality
Projected blue and red stripes over white cliffs

The humble origins of the ubiquitous ‘climate stripes’

The humble origins of the ubiquitous ‘climate stripes’
Sea-level rise and storms made stronger by climate change threaten communities across coastal Bangladesh.

‘They forgot about me’: People with disabilities in Bangladesh face increased risk during natural disasters

‘They forgot about me’: People with disabilities in Bangladesh face increased risk during natural disasters
The village of Vallehermoso on La Gomera

Residents of lush La Gomera Island aim to protect it from over-tourism

Residents of lush La Gomera Island aim to protect it from over-tourism
Ghana officially commenced oil production in commercial quantities in 2010.

COP28: African nations resist fossil fuel phaseout, citing economic realities

At the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, leaders from the US and EU have backed a phasedown of fossil fuels, with some qualifications.  But many African countries say they deserve to exploit their natural resources and develop just like richer countries. 

COP28: African nations resist fossil fuel phaseout, citing economic realities
Lower reservoir on El Hierro island

Spanish island dumps diesel for wind, water and sunshine

El Hierro, a tiny island in the Canaries, is halfway to the UN goal of ditching fossil fuels. But finding just the right renewable energy mix is proving tough.

Spanish island dumps diesel for wind, water and sunshine
A person in all black walks past a logo at the media center ahead of the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit.

Confidence in UN climate talks at a low point ahead of COP28 in Dubai

Optimism soared after the Paris Agreement was established in 2015. But progress at UN climate talks since then has been incremental at best.

Confidence in UN climate talks at a low point ahead of COP28 in Dubai
Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun's farm sits unattended without the necessary water to cultivate Iraq's signature anbar rice, Al-Meshkhab, Najaf Province, Iraq, Aug. 30, 2023.

Iraq's signature anbar rice is disappearing amid water shortages

Severe water shortages in Iraq are affecting the cultivation of the country's signature anbar rice. The lack of water is being caused by a combination of climate change and geopolitics. The World's Sara Hassan speaks with a farmer who can no longer grow the crop in southern Najaf province.

Iraq's signature anbar rice is disappearing amid water shortages
People marching in street with a Panamanian flag

Copper mine protests roil in Panama

The government approved a new contract with the mine late last week. Since then, protests have rippled across Panama, and people are afraid they could bring the country to a standstill.

Copper mine protests roil in Panama
COWS GRAZING ON A FARM WITH A GEEEN MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPE

Cow plague threatening ranches in southern Europe

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, or EHD, is typically found in the tropics and affects cattle, deer and other animals. But due to abnormally high temperatures in Europe, cases are now spreading quickly across Spain, Italy and France. The virus causes internal bleeding, miscarriages and sterility. It's rarely fatal, but ranchers are concerned for their animals and livelihoods.

Cow plague threatening ranches in southern Europe
beach

Why corals in American Samoa are thriving despite warmer oceans 

Despite prevailing narratives of coral bleaching and decline, the reefs of American Samoa have been particularly resilient to warming temperatures that have laid waste to other corals. Scientists there are finding out why, and looking for ways to use this knowledge to help reefs in other parts of the world.

Why corals in American Samoa are thriving despite warmer oceans 
Wind turbines turn behind a solar farm in Rapshagen, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. 

War in Ukraine spurs 'rapid deployment' for renewables, energy chief says

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has sent energy costs surging, European leaders scrambling for alternative suppliers of gas, and redirected flows of Russian oil toward Asia. Some European countries also burned more coal in response to the energy shock. But the most transformational long-term change will be in increased investments in renewable energy, according to International Energy Agency chief energy economist Tim Gould.

War in Ukraine spurs 'rapid deployment' for renewables, energy chief says
man at podium

Coalition of small island states makes a case that greenhouse gas emissions are covered by UN Law of the Sea

​​​​​​​In Hamburg, Germany, an international tribunal makes rulings on the UN’s Law of the Sea, which deals with marine territorial rights and navigation, and requires states to prevent and control marine pollution. This week, a coalition of small island states is asking the court to rule on an unusual case: that greenhouse gas pollution is covered under this law of the sea. 

Coalition of small island states makes a case that greenhouse gas emissions are covered by UN Law of the Sea
A tree in Costa Rica's Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve.

Climate change is rapidly shifting Costa Rica’s sensitive ecosystems

The tiny Central American country of Costa Rica is known as a green paradise. But climate change is hitting the country in a multitude of ways, including increasing its risk from storms and natural disasters. Nowhere is the shifting planet being felt more than in some of the country’s most iconic parks and reserves, where ecosystems are changing rapidly.

Climate change is rapidly shifting Costa Rica’s sensitive ecosystems