Tiempo Climate Newswatch

South Asia has been hit by the worst floods in 15 years. Torrential rains have inundated parts of India, Bangladesh and Nepal, with over 300 people killed and more than eight million homeless.

Speaking to Reuters, SR Islam, flood control officer in Guwahati, India, reported that "most of the rivers are overflowing and fast changing course, submerging large areas of human population." The capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka, has been hard-hit, with over one million people stranded in low-lying areas. Heavy rains have also affected China and Japan.

More information

• Hindustan Times
• Guardian Unlimited
• BBC

• BBC
• Straits Times

Junior British Foreign Office Minister, Bill Rammell, has overruled a high court decision that the islanders of Diego Garcia have a right to return to the homes from which they were evicted 30 years ago to make way for a US air and naval base. One reason Rammell cites is the risk of flooding due to global warming that, he reckons, will render the islands uninhabitable in decades to come.

Alan Vincatassin, leader of British Indian Ocean Territory Islanders' Movement, responded: "It is totally horrendous and unacceptable. I am very angry. This law is the most barbarous I have seen in the name of the Queen. It is because the US wants to have these islands empty they [the Foreign Office] have removed the right of abode." The strategic importance of Diego Garcia has increased in recent years as it provides a secure base for the launch of attacks in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

More information

• Guardian Unlimited
• World Crisis Web
• Guardian Unlimited

"African Americans are the most vulnerable and also suffer the most from the effects of climate change," said Michel Gelobter, Executive Director of Redefining Progress. The research firm, Redefining Progress, has just completed a study of the impact of climate change on the African American community for the Center for Policy Analysis and Research, the policy arm of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF).

"We are long past the point where global warming is considered a myth. We are seeing its effects all around us, especially in my hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, which is expected to experience an increased incidence of flooding that could potentially destabilize its economy and endanger its populace." said Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) Chair of the CBCF. The report finds stark differences in those who benefit from climate change and those who bear the burden. CBCF President Weldon J. Rougeau said, "the impact of climate change on the health of our communities is devastating in as many ways as you can count it."

More information

• ENN
• Full report