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Tanzanians urged to beef up efforts to combat desertification, drought

DAR ES SALAAM, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities on Tuesday called on citizens and environmental stakeholders to join forces with the government in the fight against desertification and drought, emphasizing the importance of collective action for the well-being of current and future generations.

Speaking in the Shinyanga Region during the commemoration of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, Khamis Hamza Khamis, deputy minister in the Vice President's Office responsible for union and environment, reaffirmed Tanzania's commitment to the global target of restoring 1 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030.

Khamis noted that Tanzania is among the countries severely affected by drought, and highlighted the government's proactive steps, which include engaging sectoral ministries, public institutions, development partners, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, and religious organizations.

He announced that the government has developed a national action plan aimed at combating desertification and mitigating the impacts of drought.

 

Khamis also urged the public to continue planting and nurturing trees as a key measure to reduce drought-related impacts, especially in critical sectors such as water, agriculture, and livestock.

Syria’s Damask rose wilts under climate stress, farmers cling to heritage

AL-MARAH, Syria (June 18): In the hillside town of Al-Marah, nestled in the Qalamoun mountains north of Damascus, the legendary Damascene rose is facing one of its most difficult seasons in recent memory.

A symbol of Syria’s cultural and botanical heritage, the Damask rose has bloomed for centuries in this rugged landscape. Once the village’s economic backbone and a source of global pride, the delicate flower now struggles to survive amid shifting climate patterns.

“This year has been one of the worst,” said Mohammad Jamal Abbas, a local farmer also known as Abu Qusai. “Rainfall was only about 20 millimeters, around 25 percent of the average. We used to get 125 or 150 millimeters. Add to that a wave of heat, then another of severe cold. All of it affected production.”

Speaking to Xinhua, Abbas explained that they began irrigating the bushes solely to preserve their survival, not for any specific production or other purposes. Their primary objective was to ensure that the bushes did not perish.

Syria is currently experiencing a severe drought, potentially the worst in 36 years. The drought has led to a significant drop in wheat production and widespread water scarcity. UN humanitarian office has warned that the drought could push 60 percent of the population closer to hunger.

But Abbas, like many others in Al-Marah, refuses to abandon the rose that has shaped their identity. “This is our labor, our work through all these years. It is impossible to give up. We are here every day.”

The practices and craftsmanship associated with the Damask Rose were inscribed in 2019 on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The annual harvest starts in May. Families venture into the fields at dawn to handpick the roses, then gather in the afternoon to sort the buds for drying into tea and prepare the rest for distillation. Women come together to make rose syrup, jam, and pastries, singing traditional songs as they work.

Diaa al-Khatib, farmer and school principal, recounted to Xinhua how farming was the main business in their town before bad weather forced many farmers to change jobs.

“In the past, this was the main income for most of the village’s farmers. Now, due to drought, it’s become secondary. Very few still depend solely on the Damask rose. Production is down, profits are down, so people have turned to other work.”

The link to the Damascene rose, however, is deeper than economics. “We can’t let go of it. It’s an inheritance from our ancestors,” al-Khatib said. “There’s a spiritual connection. When you give something your effort, you grow attached.”

Over the past four to five years, Al-Marah has not seen snow, which the rose depends on for nourishment. Farmers now use supplementary irrigation to compensate, though not enough to transform the fields into fully irrigated land.

“We’re not trying to switch from rain-fed to irrigated farming,” al-Khatib said, explaining that it would change the characteristics of the Damask rose. The farmers say the rose, which is renowned for its special flagrance, and heady-scented oil, is their heritage.

Despite setbacks, the rose continues to attract attention. “We’ve seen more foreign delegations visit than in previous years,” said al-Khatib. “They came, took reports on how the rose is grown and irrigated. But whether this interest will turn into something tangible for us, we still don’t know,” he said. – Xinhua

 

 

 

Kelantan NGOs deliver emergency rafts to help communities brace for floods

PASIR MAS: In a community-led effort to bolster flood preparedness in Kelantan, a coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has delivered 25 emergency rafts, valued at RM100,000, to residents in the flood-prone areas of Rantau Panjang and Bakong.

The initiative is a collaborative partnership between the Kelantan Disaster Response Network (KDRN), the Rotary Club, the Archdiocesan Office for Human Development (AOHD) and local building materials supplier AKUBIG Sdn Bhd.

KDRN Commander Peggy Lua said the floating platforms are designed to help residents safeguard essential items during flooding, particularly electrical appliances and food supplies, which are often damaged or lost during the annual monsoon season.

“Five to six families can use each raft. They’re built collaboratively with local villagers and they provide a practical, low-cost way to protect belongings,” Lua explained.

Made with buoyant materials and topped with canvas roofing, the rafts are built to float above floodwaters and keep contents dry.

The project began modestly in Pahang with a budget of just a few hundred ringgit but was later expanded to Kelantan in response to growing demand.

Lua said they have also raised an additional RM30,000 to continue building more rafts.

“Last year we built 35 units. This year, 25 more are being delivered and we plan to add another 10 soon,” she said.

Mohd Ariffin Ismail, village chief of Mukim Lubuk Gong and coordinator for the recipients, confirmed that the rafts will be distributed across six villages, including Bakong, Kubang Pak Itam, Kuala Jambu, and Tok Abu.

“Flooding is a constant threat in this area. These rafts offer an alternative, practical solution for people to store their items safely when waters rise,” he said.

Mohd Salleh Nor, 55, one of the recipients, said the assistance was especially valuable for lower-income families.

“Before this, I used a wooden platform to keep things above water. But once the floodwater reached waist level, it became almost impossible. Now, living with just my child, this raft has made a big difference,” he said.

Lua added that the team is actively fundraising to continue scaling up the initiative, aiming to deliver more rafts in the coming months as flood risks persist.

 

 

Call on relevant authorities to be transparent on Rantau Panjang Jaya restoration

SIBU (June 18): The relevant authorities should give the public clear updates on the current status of the Rantau Panjang Jaya restoration project.

Democratic Action Party (DAP) committee member Stanley Chiew said the landslide at Rantau Panjang Jaya, which occurred five months ago, had taken a heavy toll on the residents staying at the affected stretch.

“Residents are still looking for answers but to date, there is still not development taking place, no updates, and everything just came to a standstill. Right now, they are all completely in the dark.

“The 38 residents affected by the landslide are still waiting in vain, hoping every day for reconstruction to begin so they can eventually repair their homes and return to their lives,” he told reporters during a site visit yesterday.

Chiew said the residents wanted to know when the restoration project would begin, what stage it was in, how long it would take and when it would be completed.

“Before the Hari Raya celebrations, the relevant authorities visited the site and publicly pledged emergency funding had been approved. They promised restoration work would begin immediately after the festive season.

“However, even the Gawai Dayak festival has come and gone; the site remains completely silent with no signs of construction and no official updates whatsoever.”

He said they also wanted to know when the lighting at Jalan Teku would be fixed.

“The landslide caused the closure of Seventh Lane’s main exit, which significantly disrupted the daily commute for local residents. However, they have no choice but to rely solely on Jalan Teku for access.

“However, this road lacks proper lighting, leaving it pitch black at night. On top of that, potholes frequently appear, posing a serious safety risk — if an accident or closure occurs along Jalan Teku, residents here will have no other way to get out. If an emergency happens, help will be delayed and the situation could become very serious,” he said.

Chiew said what was even more disappointing was that the affected area falls under the Nangka constituency, which is represented by Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee, and as a high-ranking official in the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) administration, he should actively work with the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) to get things moving.

He said Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Datuk Michael Tiang also had an obligation to step in and coordinate efforts.

“Unfortunately, I have seen no proactive measures taken by any GPS state ADUNs/YBs in response to this issue, even though they are all part of the Sarawak government.

“Let me stress this clearly — the SDMC and its implementing agencies operate under the Sarawak government and the five GPS ADUNs in Sibu — Nangka, Pelawan, Bukit Assek, Dudong and Bawang Assan — have a responsibility to care for the people living here.

“Although this area falls under Nangka, the residents living here come from many different voting areas including Nangka, Pelawan, Bukit Assek, Dudong and Bawang Assan. They bought houses and moved here, but their voting address remains in their original constituencies,” he said.

As such, he said elected representatives should not use constituency boundaries as an excuse to avoid responsibility.

 

 

 

Monsun Barat Daya punca cuaca kering, panas sehingga September ini

KUALA LUMPUR: Pengaruh Monsun Barat Daya sejak 10 Mei lalu mengakibatkan fenomena cuaca kering dan panas dengan bilangan hari tanpa hujan lebih tinggi dijangka berterusan sehingga September ini.

Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Meteorologi Malaysia (METMalaysia), Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip, berkata kejadian ribut petir dan hujan lebat masih berlaku dari semasa ke semasa, terutamanya di kawasan Barat Semenanjung, Utara Sarawak dan Barat Sabah pada waktu pagi manakala di kawasan pedalaman Semenanjung, Sarawak dan Sabah pada waktu petang serta malam.

“Fenomena garis badai yang membawa hujan lebat dan angin kencang di Pantai Barat Semenanjung, Utara Sarawak dan Barat Sabah juga boleh berlaku terutamanya pada awal pagi semasa keadaan atmosfera adalah sesuai.

“Untuk tempoh tujuh hari lalu iaitu antara 10 hingga 16 Jun lalu, kebanyakan stesen mencatatkan suhu di bawah 35 darjah celsius kecuali stesen di Batu Gajah, Perak mencatatkan 36.7 darjah celsius pada 15 Jun manakala 36.5 darjah celsius di Limbang pada 13 Jun,” katanya lapor BH.

Beliau berkata, bacaan suhu menunjukkan penurunan yang lebih rendah di semua stesen, susulan hujan yang berlaku beberapa hari lalu.

“Buat masa ini, METMalaysia tidak mengeluarkan sebarang amaran cuaca panas, susulan hujan beberapa hari lalu.

“Mengenai keadaan laut di perairan negara pula, kami ada mengeluarkan amaran angin kencang dan laut bergelora kategori pertama dengan ombak mencapai ketinggian 3.5 meter (m) dan angin mencapai 50 kilometer per jam (km/j) di perairan Selat Melaka Utara dan Perairan Phuket berkuatkuasa sehingga Khamis ini (19 Jun),” ujarnya lagi.

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