The Stream, December 5, 2019: Drought Stunts Coffee Supply in Indonesia

The Global Rundown

Drought hits Indonesia’s coffee plants. China urges action among regions that are “seriously lagging” in their water quality targets. The latest round of talks over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam begin in Cairo, Egypt. A new study identifies three possible sources behind the 2014-2015 outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Flint, Michigan. South Africa teams up with local governments to secure more drought-relief funding. 

“Given the severity of the crisis, this amount is woefully inadequate. Disaster Management is working with provinces and municipalities to see how they can reprioritize their budgets for relief and recovery.” –Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, in reference to 260 million rand ($18 million) in aid that has been provided to drought-hit farmers so far this year. The country’s disaster-management authorities and local governments are working to come up with more funding. Bloomberg

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By The Numbers

75.4 percent Proportion of China’s water that is safe for human use, up 2.3 percentage points from a year ago, according to a recent analysis of the country’s waterways. Despite the improvements, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment says some parts of the country are still “seriously lagging in their water environment targets “and urges these regions to take more action in improving water quality. Reuters

10 million bags Projected amount of coffee output next year in Indonesia, compared to 11.5 to 12 million bags this season, after a drought affected flowering of the crop. If the projection is accurate, it will be Indonesia’s lowest coffee yield since the 2011-2012 season. Jakarta Post

Science, Studies, and Reports

A team of Netherlands-based researchers published a study in the “Environmental Health Perspectives” journal this week that says the 2014-2015 outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Flint, Michigan can likely be tied to three sources, including the water system at the McLaren-Flint hospital. In addition to the hospital, researchers found that for residents living in a home connected to Flint water, and those living near cooling towers, were at increased risk of the disease in 2014. MLive

In context: Circle of Blue’s ongoing coverage of Legionnaires’ disease.

On the Radar

Another round of negotiations over the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is taking place this week in Cairo, Egypt. Officials from the United States and the World Bank are joining Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia for the two-day meeting. The Guardian

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Kayla Ritter

Kayla Ritter is a recent graduate of Michigan State University, where she studied International Relations and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She is currently based in Manton, Michigan. Kayla enjoys running, writing, and traveling. Contact Kayla Ritter